SOLDIERS' BOOTS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 12

SOLDIERS' BOOTS.

Sir, —In view of tlie appointment of : a'Royal Commission to inquire into the sickness at present prevalent at Trentham, it-is to be hoped one important item of our men's outfit will be subjected'to an exhaustive inquiry, viz., boots, and particularly tho material of which are made. Kipling could sing: .. : "Foot—Foot—Foot—Foot sloggin' over -. Africa; ' - ' . Boots—Boots —B6ots—Boots movin' up and down again." ' ✓ But when those boots are slogging through' our lovely New Zealand mud they lico'd to be made; of some more impervious material tban tho porous chrome of our present regulation boots. This' chrome leather absorbs tho water which in process of evaporation causes expansion, witli its accompanying intense cold, thus it is easily seen that each man carries a, very effective little refrigerator round each foot, keeping both the feet and legs of the wearer chilled; the vitality; is thus lowered, and the. power of resisting infection impaired, and ■he falls a'n easy prey to any epidomio that harks along. To show tho porous nature of the leathor, a. trooper told me that on a recent fine morning'he had seen men wringing ,water out of their socks, after merely walking over the dewy paddocks down to swimming' parade, aiid when one considers that most of these men have issued to them only one pair of boots— and, of course, there are no facilities for drying them at night—is it any wonder that, they go -under to' pneumonia, influenza, etc.? '• ■' •The workers orithe wet, sodden farm lands .of the. Manawatu and Rangitikei districts recognise 'tbat : to keep fit it is most essential to be dry shod, and .anyono takes tbe trouble to inquire, will I'iind that these men would never consider purchasing chrome boots. One worthy medico informed the writer : that the cause of all the sickness was jthat the ground became infected, and that when it blew about in tho form of dust tlie men breathed ■ the infection, but this can scarcely bo so when tone considers that it is only since the Wet weather set in aiid the . dust was turned- to mud that there has been any considerable increase in sickness in' the camp. No, small things often cause great-evils. The tse-tse fly was' proved to cause sleeping-sickness. A little oil oil the surface of the stagnant waters of Panama, killing the mosquitoes, enabled the canal-builders to .'solve the fever problem, And it may be found that a little good leather will solve' Trentham's sickness problem. Let ue, trust, then, that boots will receive tho commission's consideration.—l am, etc.. "YOUNG MAN,