HANMER CAMP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 3

HANMER CAMP

THE SOLDIERS' COMPLAINTS MINISTER'S STATEMENT. / ' — ■f . tele gram from Christchurch pub +h, l S j i ay or * ,IVO ago stated thai tncre had been trouble at the Hanmei convalescent .Camp, and that some oJ tlio men who were, alleged to hav ( en the rules or deted orders hac "JPau placed under military arrest 01 discharged. Others, it was stated, hac neon sent to the Christchurch Hospital, Une of the complaints of the men, if nils since been stated, was in connection with the restriction placed upon their movements, none being alleged leave after six o'clock' in the evening, The Minister of Defence (the Hon. J, Allen), to whom the matter was referred by a reporter yesterday, said he bad given instructions for a report to be made to him 011 the question, but this Siud not yet come to hand. " '.The-Minister of Public Health (the Hon. Cr. W. who was also interviewed with regard to the matter yesterday, made the, following statement:— , Public Health Department has full control of soldiers in convalescent canips from the medical point of view," fi'iid tho Minister. "The Defence Department has its officers stationed at the camps, and, where necessary, at general hospitals, for the purpose of maintaining discipline amongst the men. I am not prepared to express any opinion with regard to what has taken place at Hanmer, tho matter being one entirely for my colleague, the Hon. Mr. Allen, to deal with.. As. Minister of Public Health) however, I will say that I regard the maintenance of strict discipline at these places as of the utmost importance. The same difficulty experi- ■ enced at Hanmer has occurred at Wellington Hospital, and also at Hotorua, until the military authorities took charge. Certain misguided enthusiasts, ' especially of the female 6ex, appear to think it is absolutely necessary that 3yery man who wears khaki should be given what is called 'a good time.' The result is that entertainments and social functions are given which have a very distracting effect upon the men, and militate very seriously against their speedy return to health. The object of tile men being placed! at Hanmer and Kotorua is to secure their return to health at the earliest possible moment, and, in my opinion, every other considsration should be set aside to obtain the desired end. Both Hanmer and Hotorua are military camps, 'and the idea which appears to be abroad that in the evening the men should be allowed the same liberty as civilians is ■ quite impossible to carry out. If such a state of things as that were to obtain, I should feel that the whole of the trouble being ' undertaken by the Public Health -Department was not worth while. "If soldiers—and these men are soldiers—are to be given unlimited leave every evening it is simply impossible that the healthy conditions can be maintained which will bring about their immediate and speedy return to health, which is what the Public Health' Department desires and what the' country expects. These men are receiving their full pay and hospital allowance* while they are in hospital. In these circumstances the country has the right to expect that every possible assistance ehould be given by the men themselves to secure their return to health as quickly as possible. No undtoe restraint is placed upon -them-, ;;%The,; t - grounds at Hanmer. are open' an'd ; exceedingly well laid out, and the suggestion made that the men are practically imprisoned in the evening is too. ridiculous for words. .'The grounds are laid out magnificently, /.nd there is full provision for croquet and lawn tennis ,anct every faoility for the men for recreation of a most enjoyable character. No doubt many of the difficulties at Hanmer will disappear when the new -hospital (whioh will be a duplication of tho King George V Hospital at Rotorua) has been completed.