CABLE NEWS.

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 43, 19 August 1902, Page 5

CABLE NEWS.

[BI BLEOTBIO TWiEOBAFH. — OOPTBIOHT. * OVERCROWDED TROOPSHIPS. THE DRAYTON GRANGE ENQUIRY EVIDENCE OF THE VESSEL'S OFFICERS. [MRKSB ASSOCIATION.] : - SYDNEY, 18th August. V""* At the enquiry into the cii'cuinbtunce; •v connected with the troopship Draytoc v Grange, Captain Bonnett, nutter oi the vessel, was examined. J±e did not know the exact number aboard. Approjdinate- _ ly fche company was paid tor ItMO men ana 4i otnoers. He bclioveu there were a, number ot stowaways: He considered there was ample bleeping accommodation, also ltttnue aud ia.vutory conveniences. Regarding ventilation, he said the men insisted on coding tho ports at «ight againat the rules. He attributed 4 large amounc of the sickness to the uncleanly habits of a number ot the men. They muil'ciousiy destroyed the showerbaths and electric lamps. The troops were half' the tinid in «i state of sennmutiny. They wtoe. a 1 uioit insubordinate lot, and th« officer* and everybody else had the utmost difficulty in handling them. , * Captain Bennett said he believed had the officers gone to extremes and arrested some of the men there would have been open mutiny. These remarks applied to the great majority. There was a lot of drinking aboard, Rome of the offlcoVs being guilty of excess in this direction. Eh mentioned that' thft New Zealand troop? taken to the Cape in the vessel bad the same hammocks, space, and messing provision as on the present voyage". The second officer, Mr. Blay, deposed thab there was a largo amount of drunkenness and gambling, the latter being openly permitted. His evidence was similar to the captain's with reference to the vessel net being overcrowded, and to the dirty habits and insubordination of numbers of the men. He considered that if £h'« dfflcers had exercised more authority during the early part of the voyage things ■would havp gone on inuoh more orderly, and there would nob have been so much trouble. The sickness was just ono of those epidemics which will • break out among a large body of men. The third officer said ho had sailed in vessels carrying New Zealand troops •which had not more * room, but there was discipline, and consequently no trouble.- He asserted that there was much laxity on the part of the military officers, ana a lot of drunkenness amongst the men. UNOLEANLINESS OP THE TROOPERS. . HEAVY CONSUMPTION OP LIQUOR ON BOARD. (Received August 19, 9.45 a.m.)' SYDNEY, This" Day. The chief' officer of the Dray ton Grange i»te evidence to the effect that troopers prevented the Putting up of berths intended for the .sick. They seized tho timber and threatened to blanket , him. He had the greatest difficulty in getting them to clean their quarters. Sometimes they were not touched for days, and tb,e commanding officer's aid had to be obtained. There w«s great lack of discipline, and the men used filthy and abusive language to the snip's and thei* own officers. The chief steward's accounts disclosed heavy consumption of liquor on the port of the officers.