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154. Did he rise from the ranks ?—Yes. He was first in the old Torpedo Corps, when he went volunteering. Frederick Samuel Parkes examined. (No. 6.) 155. The Chairman.] What is your name, rank, and corps ?—Frederick Samuel Parkes, Sergeant-Major, Wairoa Mounted Rifles. 156. Were you encamped with your corps at Newtown Park during the Royal visit? —Yes. 157. When did you go into camp?—On Friday morning. We came down by the Thursday night's train. 158. When did you leave camp? —We left for Christchurch on the following Thursday evening. 159. Did you remain in camp while you were here ? —Yes, except when on leave. 160. Was the tent accommodation sufficient for the members of your corps ?—-Yes, I think so. 161. What about the straw ?—lt was rather short at first, but we got it made up. 162. Had you any complaints from the men about the accommodation?— No. 163. Had the horses sufficient fodder ?—Not all the time. There would be sufficient some days and a shortage at other times. 164. Are you speaking of your own corps and horses?— Yes. 165. If you made application for more fodder did you get it?— Yes. 166. How were the rations for your corps ? —They were rather short. 167. How were they as to quality ?—The quality of the food was good enough, but it was not properly cooked. 168. The meat was served up underdone ?—Yes, and the vegetables uncooked. 169. Had you plenty of water?— The men used to go to the dam to wash, but it got rather dirty because the horses were taken there as well to water. There were troughs provided at the beginning, but the water was stopped, and the place got so muddy on account of the horses there that the men could not get near them. 170 What was the condition of the mud in the camp?—lt was dreadful. 171. How deep?— Over your boot-tops. 172. Did you see the cooking arrangements there?— Yes. So far as I could see, there was simply a trench dug in the ground and bars placed across for the pots in the open. 173. There was a small building there for cooking, was there not ?—Yes, but the cooking did not actually take place in the building. 174. What was the building for, then?— For cutting up and serving out the rations. 175. A distributing-place, and not for cooking ?—Yes. 176. Did your men complain about the shortness of food ?—-A good many of my corps did. 177. Did you hear complaints made from members of other corps? —There were several complaints made by individuals. 178. So far as your corps is concerned, what were the arrangements made for getting the rations from the cookhouse ?—There were orderlies told off for it. 179. How many?— Six, I think. 180. How many tents have you for your own corps? —Eight. 181. You had less than one man per tent was that enough? —They managed all right. 182. On how many occasions did complaints about the meat not being cooked occur?— Three or four different times. 183. Can you tell us on what day or days ?—I could not say for certain. 184. Was it before the Duke arrived, or afterwards ? —Before he arrived. 185. Did you see anything of the disturbance down town on Wednesday afternoon ?—I did not see anything of it. 186. Do you know any one who was concerned in it ?—No ; I was at the camp at the time. 187. Have you any complaint to make about the arrangements of the camp there, excepting as to the shortness of food and it being insufficiently cooked ?—No, I have no personal complaint to make at all. 188. Can you tell me anything that was wrong about the camp, or was wanting ?—I think not. A great deal of the discomfort was due to the state of the weather. If the weather had been better everything would have been different. It was very hard to cook under the circumstances, especially outside in the wet. 189. Colonel Davies.] Did you see the forage issued out to the corps ?—The quartermaster issued the forage. 190. What quartermaster—the battalion or brigade ?—The brigade. 191. Was it issued at regular hours?— Yes, by bugle.call every morning. 192. Were the rations regularly issued?— Yes, everything went by bugle. 193. Were officers there inspecting the issue of rations ?—Yes. 194. Did you have company orderly officers or battalion orderly officers ? —Battalion orderly officers. 195. Was he there every day ?—He was supposed to be. Ido not know that he was there always. 196. Did any instance come under your notice of men complaining to their officers about the food ?—No. 197. Your men were not satisfied : what steps did they take to put matters right?— They took no steps at all. 198. Did they know the proper course ?—Yes ; to complain to their own officers. 199. Did not the orderly officer go round and. inspect the tents and see if there were any complaints ?—Yes; they were round several times—not every day.