H.—6c.

36

|SEKG.-MA.I. H. COLLINS.

508. Colonel Davies.] Can you give me the names of any officers to whom complaints were made—proper reasonable complaints—and no notice was taken of them ?—No; I do not remember the names of the officers. I only know that I heard complaints made to the orderly officers repeatedly about the quality of the meat. 509. You do not know whether these complaints were investigated or not ?—I could not say, sir. 510. You say you had to stand on the deck, and that your feet were always wet?— Yes, sir. 511. You were a non-commissioned officer?— Yes, sir. 512. Why did you not go on to the non-commissioned officers' deck ?—Because it was too exposed. 513. During the greater part of the voyage is it not a fact that it was only comfortable on one side of the ship :on the other side it was wet and windy ? —I do not think it was wet and windy on both sides. 514. Did you ever see the non-commissioned officers' part of the promenade deck so crowded that they could not sit on the lee side ?—Yes, I think so. 515. You saw the regiments mustered on the two sides of the promenade deck ?—Yes, sir. 5J6. One side would only just about hold one regiment standing up ?—-Yes ; that is right, sir. 517. What would have been the effect if all the men had been allowed to go up on that promenade deck : do not you think it would have been just as bad as the other part of the ship ? — No, sir, because a certain number would have remained below, and they would have had room to move. 518. Do you remember the time we had sports and a concert on the deck that only a limited number could get on, and there was no room for the men to sit even ?—The majority of the men I saw there were sitting down. 519. Sitting down on the deck —we could not accommodate more than a certain portion of them ?—I never saw it overcrowded like that. The men I saw there always had sufficient room to sit, but all the men were not there. 520. Did you ever hear of any application being made for further ventilation ? —■Nβ, sir. 521. You say that this case of measles happened when the hospital was being enlarged?— Yes, sir. 522. That was between Melbourne and New Zealand ?—I do not know, sir. 523. Surgeon-Major Pearless,] About these cases of measles: How do you know they had measles ?—He was marked on the sick report. 524. Were they marked on the face ?—Murphy was, sir. 525. How did you come to see the report ? —lt was always shown to the squadron sergeantmajor. 526. Did you ever hear of a man being hospital not being admitted at once ?—I heard of Purvis's case. 527. You do not know what doctor marked him ?—No, I do not. 528. Do you think this happened before we left Melbourne?—l do not know, sir. 529. It was at the time the hospital accommodation was being increased?— Yes, sir. 530. Captain Leivin.] You say that, in your estimation, about one-third of the men were lousy on board ? —Yes, sir. 531. Well, did you hear of any men being lousy on the veldt ?—I did, sir. 532. Are you aware that these men brought fresh clothes on board?—ln the case of my own squadron they did. I ordered one man to get fresh clothes and to have a bath. 533. He got a thoroughly clean suit of everything ?—He had clean underclothing, and he had a bath. 534. Would that clean the men?—ln some cases it would. 535. Did all the men do that ? —I did not order them all to do it; it was only one case I knew of. 536. Presumably some of those men came on board lousy ?—I believe there were, sir. 537. You understand how the hammocks were stored?— Yes, sir. 538. They were all put away together. Do you think it possible that if one man had made his blankets lousy it would contaminate the others ?—Certainly I do, in time. 539. You did not notice the lice for a week or so ?—Not for about a week or so. 540. Are you aware whether the men slept in the same hammocks every night ?—Some of them did not. 541. They might have taken up other men's hammocks ? —Yes, sir. 542. So that if a man was lousy he would contaminate another hammock, in the same way a clean man would be contaminated ?—Some of the men lost their hammocks and then took what hammocks they could get. 543. Surgeon-Major Pearless.] In the second case of the measles did it not occur to you to report it to me?—No, it was not my duty. I believe my officer went to you, and this man was then ordered to go straight to the hospital. 544. He was admitted as soon as reported to me? —I believe he was. 545. Mr. McNab.] Who was the officer to whom you reported?— Captain Fookes. Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant Michael McDonnell examined on oath. (No. 9.) 546. The Chairman.] Which contingent do you belong to?— The Eighth Contingent, No. 1 regiment. 547. Did you belong to any contingent before ?—I belonged to the Jubilee Contingent. I have been in the Commonwealth.