HEALTH OF THE TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3160, 11 August 1917, Page 9

HEALTH OF THE TROOPS

A REPORT TO PARLIAMENT DEBATE ON "REJECTS." SIR JAMES ALLEN (Minister r,f Defence), dealing with the health of the troops in camp and containing statis-tics-covering the period of the war. Mr. G. WITTY, discussing the report, said he was satisfied that many of the men who had been rejected had been wrongfully rejected. In his opinion there had' been some unfair work in this respect. Sir .Tames Allen: They are all' being re-examined now.

Mr. Witty saiil thai these men had a right to be examined, and the examination should lie made by another doctor. The number of rejections on medical grounds was too large. Over n thousand men had been rejected on account of flat feet. Yet many of those men. wore country workers, who were on their feet all'day. If these men could not march, they surely could undertake the other work, and relieve fit men. There was a great deal of waste in the camps, and it-was not right that pats of butter and joints of meat should go into the pig-tubs. Sir James Allen:. You come out with me and see for yourself. Mr. Witty said if tho Minister used more of his own judgment and trusted less to some of his officers the position would be very much improved. Tho Minister should not shield his officers when they 'had blundered.. The House ought to be taken more fully into the confidence of the Defence Minister. The improvements made at the camps had boon due largely to the agitation of members.

The Camp Hospital. The Hon. D. BUDDO (Kaiapoi) said that the control of the camp hospitals had not given satisfaction to the public. Lives had been lost through neglect, but as far as tho House knew no changes ot personnel had been made in conseCi Dr.° H. T. J. THACKER (Christchurch East) said that'many men had been .put into the camp who were entirely and obviously unat. He quoted the case of a voung man who on medical advice took, to' an open-air life, but was still compelled to go into camp, to break down there. A man who had entered the Forces and had got as far as England had broken down there, and was now an invalid at Hanmer. But his wifo and young children got no assistance, because, ho was over age. But happily the Msni.fter was now bowing to public opinion. He had said a fortnight ago that the Main Body men could not have furlough, but ho had announced during tho present week that half of them would havo tho holiday. The House must see that every member of the Main Body had furlough, or else, there would bo favouritism. Tho Minister had made a misstatement regarding the attitude ot tho British Medical Association, which was a very patriotic body and had been trying throughout the war to secure tho organisation that was needed. Dr. Tliackcr protested against the refusal of tho Defence Department to allow soldiers on sick leave to be attended by their own doctors. It appeared that these doctoi s were not to be permitted, to , find out things that the Department wished to conceal. Tho Minister had yielded after Ion" delav in. regard to Trenthami Camp, which hail been unhealthy from the outset. Tho troops were being-trained m now camps, and tho sickness had decreased. .. Mr. J. PAYNK (Grey Lynn) said lie looked forward to tho lime when members of Parliament would insist upon sharing the responsibilities of ;ho_ Incentive. Members did not get. the information they wero entitled to possess. Trentham Camp had been constructed on a bacteria-infected area, and had been grossly over-crowded in the early stages of tho war, despite the protests of ofiicers, with tho result that men had died. Mr. Payne discussed Defenco administration at length.

The Minister's Reply. Tho Minister of Defence began Ins reply within two minutes of tho dinner adjournment, and touched on a few points raised in tho course of the debate. "It is almost impossible to avoid a certain amount of waste in tho military camps," he said. "I have examined into this question over and over again. Ave aro now trying to adopt some new ideas of our own, which I hopo will have some beneficial results. The waste that does tako place is not all loss. I deny absolutely that gift goods havo ever .beer, sold "in the canteens. This charge was first made about tho troops in Egypt. It was fully examined there, and proved to bo without foundation. The gift goods aro kept entirely separate, and aro not used on the transports. The prices charged in the canteens on shipboard and in the camps aTe fixed, and price lists

aro posted for tho information of Iho men. Gifts for Soldiers. "Complaint has boon made that men in iho hospitals arc charged for com-' forts. Tho position is tliut sifts are distributed to tho men in tho hospitals. Tho men do not need anything else. But some of tho men wish to buy extras for themselves. They aro allowed to do so, and vtho expenditure is debited against their pay, most of which accumulates whilo they aro in hospital. Parcels for tho soldiers aro sent forward whenever opportunity occurs. A clearance was mado at tiro end of May last. Somo of tho paroeln may have been m tho 6tores for two or three mouths at that time, but tlioro had been no opportunity of sending them away before. I have never shielded an officer who deserved punishment. Ido shield officers from unjustifiable attacks by men who do not know what they aro talking about."