TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2537, 11 August 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP INQUIRY

HEARING CONCLUDED MORE ABOUT IMPROVEMENT SCHEME ROADS TO ALL HUTS ONE HUNDRED SHOWER BATHS Yesterday, the Trentham Camp Commission, consisting of His Honour Mr. Justice Hosking, Dr. A. A. Martin, and Mr. W. Ferguson, concluded the hearing of evidence, except that in the course of producing its report the Commission may consider it necessary to call or recall some few witnesses. K. W. Holmes, Public Works Engineer, was called to give evidence as to the improvements now being made at Trentham Camp. He said that the principal work in oamp was the formation of the streets. A little had been done to the road lading up to the camp. In reply to Mr. Salmond, witness saiil there were'sufficient, metalled roads being made to give access to all tho huts. They expected to have two-thirds done when tho next Reinforcements go into canip. His Honour: When is that? Mr. Salmond: Say, ten days from now. .Witness said that street channelling was being done, roof gutters were being' attached to the huts, and everything was being done to prevent' water lying about between the huts. They were putting in some, surface drainage works on the road leading to the camp, but no other 'surface drainage works than those just mentioned wero being undertaken in tho oamp. His Honour: How many huts are being put up? - Mr. Holmes: Twelve huts for men, one hospital inspection hut, one small hospital, orderlies' hut, ona hut for orderlies attending infectious cases, additional cookhouses, and an experimental drying building.

His Honour: When will tho experimental drying building be finished? Mr. Holmes: Within a week, I should say. The New Wooden Huls. Mr. Ferguson: Any bathhouses being put up? Mr. Holmes: No. They are under contemplation. Plans have been drawn up, and have been submitted to the Defence Department. His Honour: How many showersP Air. Holmes: One hundred. Mr. Salmond: How many drying rooms 7 Mr. Salmond: Eight. Mr. Salinond: As to these new huts, hW many will they hold? Mr. .Holmes: Sixty; thirty in each compartment. I Mr. Salmond: Are they built of wood? Mr. Holmes: Yes. Ills Honour: Lined or unlined? Witness said the huts were not to be lined. Vents were to be inserted in the roof, and upward ventilation through the windows was being arranged for. The windows were being altered so that no bed need bo placed directly beneath a window. Stretchers wero being made at the rate of 200 or 300 per day, and 4000 would be there when all" the men wont in. No arrangement had been made for separate messing lints; the men would take their meals in the sleeping apartments. ' His Honour remarked that the doctor* who reported on tlio camp recommended separate messing accommodation. Mr. Salmond saijl that this extra provision would involve a. great deal of extra exnense.

Replying to a Question by Mr. Salmond, as to what improvements have been mnde in the sanitary .drainage' system, Mr. Holmes said that soak pits were being further'experimented .with, and the Hutfc Stream was being deepened in accord with tlio scheme. His Honour: Will it be attended to and done before the troops come in? Mr. Holmes did not think so. His Honour: Is not this question of sanitation nior© important than roads? You can put up with a ; dirty road, but not with a dirty drain. Mr. Salmond thought it was wrong to regard tlie two' works as alternative. Both were being pushed along as fast as possible. Mr. Holmes said that the deepening of tlie'Hutt stream was an important-part of the scheme. . His Honour: When will that be done? • Mr. Holmes: In about two months. Mr. Salmond: Can you give any estimate of the cost of tho improvements which are being made? Mr. Holmes: Not at present. Mr. Salmond: Not within (say) ,£5000? Mr. Ferguson: The improvements are being made regardless of cost, then. Witness added that a camp was being made at Featherston to accommodate 3500 men. This involved much expense. The work there had been delayed through want of workmen. Safe to Reoccupy Trentham. His Honour: You want all tho men for Trentham ? Mr. Holmes: Yes. Mr. Skerrctt: Is it proposed to line the existing huts? Mr. Holmes: No. Mr. Skerrett: That is not thought to bo necessary? Mr. Holmes: No. Mr. Skerrett: Don't you think that, seeing that the walls consist of galvanised iron, it would be desirablo for the comfort of the men to line the huts? Mr. Holmes: It would be a very desirable improvement. Witness said that there wero 60veral difficulties in the way of lining—time and material were two. , His Honour: Can't some of this modern material with smooth surface be obtained? Mr. Gray: What is your opinion of tho orientation of the huts? Mr. Holmes: I think it is satisfactory. .• . . I don't think it would be worth making any alteration. Mr. Gray: In • your opinion is the height of the huts satisfactory? Mr. Holmes: Yes. Dr. C. M. Hector expressed the opinion that it would be safe to bring the men back to Trentham. Ho had been a member of tho special board which- reported its to the 6«fety of this proposal. Ho considered it very necessary to provide men with messing accommodation separate from tho sleeping huts. . It would be wise to make this provision even at tho cost of a few thousand pounds. He did not consider it necessary to line tlio huts. Mr. Salmond:, Would you consider it dangerous to their health for tho men to have their meals in their huts? Dr. Hector said' that he did consider it dangerous. It tended to over-crowding, and to over-crowding ho attributed the spread of the j^idemic.

The Military Boot. Charles J. Ward, works manager for R. Hannah and Co., who supplied boots for the troops, said that the specifications for New Zealand military hoots was according to British Imperial make, which was decided upon after long, experience. Mr. Gray: AVoiild'it improve the hoots if they were oiled in wet weather? Mr. Ward: Yes. The witness said that the New- Zealand ■military boot was better than the Australian military boot, which was lighter, and brown in colour. He suggested that lighter boots should be given tlio men when they first went into camp. The sudden change to very heavy footwear crippled the men. This plan had been adopted by. tlio,British Army authorities. Its adoption here would enable the makers to use up material that could not-be used in tlio heavier 'boots. Leo Blake, of the firm of Blako and Co., who supplied uniforms and pantaloons, said that it was not correct that 500 uniforms had been sent back. Thirtytwo liad been returned for alteration to tho collars, and that was all. ,T. M. Campbell, Government Architect, who was a member of tho board which designed the Trenthnm huts, asked permission to reply to some of the criticism illicit had been directed against the huts. Galvanised iron, ho said, had been termed a most improper material to "so for the huts. Ho recited some of tho advantages of iron: it was non-absorbent, it had a y>lean. smootiy saixfwfl. few i.ointa, did not

shrink like wood, and .was cheaper .than any other material. One of the Commission: What! Cheaper! Mr. Campbell: It ivas when wo purchased- it. It ias liceu suggested we purchased it at «C 3!) 10.5., which was nonsense. . . . The bulk of it was purchased at about ,£l9. Witness said that he would not consider it a hardship to sleep in one of these lints, but would have thought it a hardship to sleep in a tent. The temperature ill the huts would be the samo as the outside toniperature. His Honour: I don't think we can discuss tlio question of draughts profitably imicli more. AVe have the evidence of those who have suffered fiom them. They say that undoubtedly they aro cold. ' Private l?oy Glen, C Company, Sixth Reinforcements, who_ was accommodated in the Racecourse Kiosk Hospital when iIL in .Tunc, said that he was given two aspirin tablets after every meal Wr nine days. When his tempo'aturo was 103 it was necessary for him to get out of bed nt times, and walk out of tlio ward. He had to sleep 011 the floor at first. The building should have baeu kept cleaner; the floor was filthily dirty. His Honour: There was a great deal of mud about? Pte, Glen: Yes. The witness said tint tho conditions at the hospital improved when the nurses arrived. Unwilling to Recommend Lining. Dr. Frengley gave evidence in reply .to criticism. Ho said that it was not necessary to place liuits at Trentham en cschelon. As to messing accommodation for the men, pictures he had seen of Kitchener's Army showeed that the men dined in tho huts they slept in. Having in view the fact • that infectious disease had broken out, he was very unwilling; to recommend a departure from tho unlined iron walls, because iron could be easily cleaned; and. did not readliy absorb odours, or germs. The comfort which would result from lining the walls should be considered with due regard to tho possibilities of infectlon. - , . Asked if he agreed that it would be prudent to re-occupy Trentham, Dr. FrengJey said that he did. His Honour said that Professor Chamtaloup, of Dunedin, had answered a telegram from the Commission, saying/ that lie agreed with the report of the Board of medcal men, provided all the conditions laid down by the Board were given effect to. The Board reported that Trentham could be . re-occupied, and Professor Chamtaloup was a member of the Board. The Commission tlien adjourned.