THE TRAINING COURSE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3164, 16 August 1917, Page 5

THE TRAINING COURSE

AKLITART WORK AND FATIGUES. . . An indication of tho opinion of a member of the House—an opinion held "by ■nt.hers also—that tho time of somo of the men of tho reinforcements is occupied so much in fatigues that they havo tut liltlo timo for military exercises was Riven by jlr. Hudson in a question to Tile Minister of Defence. Mr. Hudson asked tho Minister of Defonco "Whether it is truo that many of Tno men in camp employed as artisans, (oad-malvers, etc., are kept so employed rip to -within a fow days of their loaving •the Dominion with their reinforcements and get practically no military training; Bfld, if such is the case, whether these iduties should not bo in tho hands of men who are debarred from active serTice, in order that fighting men should iliave every opportunity of being made efficient,. with a view both of protecting H lieir own lives in the ftring-liho and rendering tho best possible servico to tho Torces?"

Sir .lames Allen (Minister of Defence) •replied: "During tho winter months there is a certain amount of fatiguo worse in oonnection with camp Toads. This intermittent work is carried out by tho '.reinforconient. draft as part of their ordinary fntie-uo work. Occasionally artisans have been drawn from reinforcements to assist in tho construction and .•repair of camp works, but in such cases "where the period of employment has ex. ■ceeded a. fow days the mon concerned liavo been transferrrd to the next draft, in order that they may make up their Jraimng."