H.—6c.

47

TROOPER P. MELLOR.

991. Then, when it rains the guards should be taken off?— Some officers allowed their men to go off, but our officer insisted upon our doing the duty. 992. Then, you think a man on pay ought not to be compelled to do his duty ? —What do you mean ? 993. On a rainy day a man on Imperial pay should not be compelled to do duty?—No, when there is no necessity to have a man on duty. 994. Mr. McNab.] You were in receipt of full pay when on board ? —Yes ;we got forty days' oversea pay from Durban. 995. Was not a further payment to come ?—Yes. 996. After the expiration of the forty days?— Yes ; thirty-one days. 997. So you got seventy-one days' pay after leaving Durban ?—Yes. 998. Colonel Davies.] When you say you complained to an officer and there was no remedy, was it to the officer of the day or to an officer of your regiment ?—To the officer of the day. 999. There were two officers of the day for the ship, a captain and a subaltern of the regiment —which do you mean ? —I took it to the lieutenant. 1000. You were a member of the South Island regiment ?—Yes. 1001. Do you remember the officer?—lt was to Lieutenant Pitt I complained. 1002. Supposing I told you that Lieutenant Pitt was paymaster, and was never on duty during the voyage as officer of the day, what would you say?—l do not know him. 1003. You cannot mention an officer to whom a complaint was made and no notice of it taken ?—I cannot. 1004. Surgeon-Major Pearless] You say a trooper jumped out of bed in delirium and died in a few minutes ?—Half an hour. 1005. Who was he?— Lawrence ; I helped to put him into bed. 1006. At what time was it ?—I do not know. 1007. Do you remember seeing me that afternoon ?—Yes. 1008 Did I order all visitors out of the hospital ?—Yes. 1009. And why did you not go ? —I did go. 1010. Did you know that he was lying on a spring bed ?—Yes. 1011. Was there an orderly attendant there? —Yes, after a time. 1012. Is it extraordinary for a man to jump out of bed in delirium ?—No. 1013. Was the other man Tom ?—Yes, 1014. Do you know that he was in hospital almost all the time since he left New Zealand?— Ido not know. He got out and went to the water-tap and had a drink, and I put him back into bed. 1015. Why did you not stop him getting out ?—I did not see him until he was out. Trooper J. E. Nicholson examined on oath. (No. 13.) 1016. Mr. McNab.] To what contingent did you belong?— The Tenth. 1017. You communicated with the Commission stating that you would like to give evidence before them regarding the troopship " Britannic." The Commission will be very pleased to hear what you have to say. Do you appear to complain ? —Yes. 1018. On what matters?— There was no accommodation for sleeping. There were only hooks to hang about ten men's hammocks over our table, and we had to sleep on the table or on the floor, and the floor was occasionally wet. It was wet on perhaps four or five occasions. Then, the meat was green several times. When I went to get into hospital, three days from home, with measles, I could not get in. I went on deck, and my brother caught the measles off me, and now he is dying at Somes Island. 1019. Any other matters ?—We got apples and rice one night, and I suppose you have heard what was the complaint about them. They were maggoty. The vegetables were not cooked in the soup. We had no accommodation on the deck. We had only a very small deck for five hundred men to promenade on for exercise. I think that is all. 1020. First, in regard to the sleeping-accommodation, did you sleep in a hammock or on the floor?—In a hammock for some time upon deck. 1021. Did you sleep in a hammock slung to the hooks? —Part of the time, but afterwards I had to sleep on the floor. 1022. How many of the men could be accommodated in the hung hammocks in your part of the ship ?—There were sixteen at our table, and there were only ten hooks for the hammocks for sixteen men. You had to sleep on the table or on the floor, or else up on deck. 1023. How far were the hooks from one another ?—I do not know exactly. I suppose it would be nearly 2 ft. 1024. Did you ever make a complaint about want of accommodation for sleeping ?—No. 1025. Why did you not complain?— There was no room, and if we had made a complaint it was no use. 1026. Then, you made no complaint because you did not see how the commanding officer could give you accommodation in any other way ?—Yes. 1027. You say that on four or five occasions the meat was green ?—Yes. 1028. Was it in that condition when served at the mess-table after it was cooked ?—Yes. We saw it, and when we cut it at the mess-table and tasted it we found that it was bad. 1029. Did you complain to the officer of the day ?—Yes. 1030. Often ?—There were two meals a day at which complaints were made during the first week. They were not corrected, so we got tired of making complaints. 1031. Will you give me the name of an officer to whom you made a complaint?—l did not know the names of any of the officers of the Bth regiment. I can tell you the name of one officer. It was Lieutenant Duigan.