THE NEW CAMPS

Evening Post, Volume XC, Issue 16, 19 July 1915, Page 3

THE NEW CAMPS

RANGIOTU AND WAIKANAE EVERYTHING SATISFACTORY A MINISTERIAL VISIT. (BT OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.) Many years ago weary pioneers, "swagging" their goods from the Port of Foxton to Palmerston North, divided their journeys into two parts. For the first thirteen miles they tramped over sandy wastes, which here and there were covered "with rank vegetation and scrub, and, then, upon reaching the Oroua Biver they entered heavy, dense bush country, in places almost impassable in winter because of the treacherous swamps. It is about a mile from the borderline of these two classes of land — a mile on the Foxton side — that the new camp for the Trentham Regiment has been pitched. But the country there is no longer a sandy waste, for enterprising settlers who had leased' it from the Natives, have farmed it for many years, and it is now first-class grazing Jand covered with luxuriant pasture. The Native owners are the Te Awe Awe family, who, though a one-time powerful tribe, have to their credit a noble record in the cause of peace. Mr. Maniroa Larlrin, the direct owner, offered the land, comprising 1200 acres, to the Government at a nominal rental of £20 por month, and this sum, with characteristic Native generosity and patriotism, he has stated he will donate to the Patriotic Fund. On last Friday week when the troops were sent to Rangiotu from Trentham the rainfall was exceptional ; in 20 hours 2.75 inches fell, and it was because of this deluge that Colonel Fulton refused to allow the regiment to pitch camp and ordered the trains back to Palmerston North. On the lower land on the Palmerston side of the Oroua River, the water lay feet deep over the road, and the prospect as the troop, trains proceeded through the yellow expanse of water was not inviting. The camp site itself, notwithstanding the deluge was virtually dry, even though it is centred in undulating hillocks, so rapid is the soakage through the sandysoil. When Colonel Fulton arrived back with his men at Palmerston North he hesitated to turn them adrift in the town, knowing they had come hurriedly from an infected camp, and he wisely communicated with headquarters. Id was while a reassuring reply was being awaited from Wellington that the men were kept to their cramped, but raintight quarters in the trains during tho night. It was an anxious time, for there -was sickness abroad, but release soon came. The men on the Saturday were disembarked and quartered in the show ground building, and the generosity and . concern of the Palmerston people quickly helped them to forget their unpleafeant experiences and cheered their outlook., The officers speak with pride of the way all ranks lent a hand to make the best of a difficult situation. THE NEW CAMP. As soon as the weather cleared up, the camp was pitched. A" siding had already been constructed opposite the camp. This work was done by the Railway Department in little more than a night. The main line to Foxton, it should be said, runs alongside the camp site. The loop line enabled the camp impedimenta to be shunted aside ready for the camp pitching. There are two excellent camp sites on Mr. Larkin's land, and a, temporary camp was pitched upon one of these nearest to the present water supply, which is an artesian bore at the Rangiotu Dairy Factory, a little more than a mile away. There at present 1700 men are accommodated. The land rises away back from the camp to an irregular ridge of hillocks, and beyond is a sharp fall to an ideal paradeground, and half a mile beyond that again rune the Manawatu River. There were some difficulties to be overcome. A Supply of water for nearly two thousand men, for instance, could not bo brought from a mile distant in a few hours. Captain Jickell, Palmerston's borough engineer, was put in charge of this work, and he rapidly had a 6upply of four-inch mains gathered from Wellington and. Wanganui. In the, few days that have intervened these pipes have been connected up over the intervening mile, and to-day the water should be' flowing. _ A huge marine cable tank stands in an elevated place ready for it to be pumped up, the pump; driven by a small oil engine, having been installed by a Palmerston engineering firm. Up to the present water has been railed from Palmerston in numerous tanks. THE SCENE AT RANGIOTTJ. The Trents on Saturday morning, when the Defence Minister (the Hon. James Allen) and Colonel Gibbon (Chief of the General Staff) visited them, seemed happy in their new quarters. Half the camp stood dismantled, to throw the straw and the ground open to the morning sun and breeze. A gang were busy with saws and hammers constructing tent floors, and erecting the various buildings necessary to military camps. The cook-shop flaunted half a dozen huge sides of beef, and numerous quarters of mutton, and a long line of men were tossing supplies of bread along. Companies were winding over the distant dunes, towards the parade grounds, and squads, busy about the camp on various duties, gave the place an air of ordered bustle. iSome quarter of a mile away on the right stood a group of melancholylooking, flapping tents, among which no man wandered, because they were undergoing a period of quarantine. All the other tents had been gather together from the various Territorial stores, but these came" from Trentham. Near the entrance gate stood the postal and telegraphic office, where Colonel Gibbon was able immediately to get into telephonic communication with Wellington. Drying sheds were in course of erection, and blankets and top-coats and other articles of soldiers' attire hung exposed along drying ridges and fences. Everything, indeed, seemed satisfactory. Colonel Fulton, who is in command of -the camp, with Captain Bishop as Regimental Adjutant, met the visitors, who were provided with horses and shown over the camp, tho parade grounds, and tho new site. In a few days the new permanent camp will be ready for occupation. A railway siding is just now being constructed, and this is a wise provision, which Trentham lacked, for it saves much heavy wear, and tear on the camp roads. The water reservoir, another huge cable tank, has been erected upon a dune 50ft above the level of the Manawatu River. It was hauled from the railway in two-ton sections by 200 willing men. The tank will be supplied from the creamery bore until another artesian well which the Railway Department is now sinking is completed. The new camp site is admirable in every E*y, Heavy westerly winds aweepovwf

this land, but, pitched snugly in behind the dunes, the camp will not feel them. When not on parade the men will be able to spend many a healthy half-hour on the dunes, away above the level of the camp. The latrines are being constructed some distance away to the leeward. The camp is thirteen miles from Palmerston North, and eleven from Foxton, but there is a daily railway service either way, and when the ban of quarantine is lifted probably facilities will be afforded for visits to the haunts of men. SWELLING THE NUMBER. As soon as the camp is ready, the troops at present quartered at Palmerston, comprising 74 Army Service Corps, and officers and non-commissioned officers, and a certain number of recruits of the Bth Reinforcements, will be sent there, bringing the number up to 2500. Whether the Rangiotu Camp is to be looked upon as a permanent establishment or not is a question upon which no official pronouncement has yet been made, and which, it is understood, has yet to be decided. It had been intended, however, that the Trentham Regiment should be given other quarters than Trentham. The location of the camp in the Manawatu has thrown heaVy work upon the Wellington District Headquarters at Palmerston, but there are capable officers there, who have shown that they can well cope with all emergencies. This has been evident in the rapidity with which all arrangements have been made, and difficulties overcome. Drs. Bogall and Brown are the camp medical officers. THE Bth REINFORCEMENTS. After leaving Rangiotu, about which the Defence Minister and Col. Gibbon expressed satisfaction, inspection was made of the quarters at the Palmerston show ground, the Opera House, and other places, where the n.c.o.'s, and the Bth Reinforcement recruits, and a section of the Army Service Corps, are billeted.- When the Trents vacated the show grounds early last week the buildings were disinfected, and closed up. Tin's necessitated placing the incoming recruits and the n.c.o.'s in whatever accommodation was available. ' The municipal authorities offered the Opera House — an offer accepted — and the Racing Club lenfc the racecourse buildings. But some hotels and boardinghouses had also to be utilised. This could be done with safety, as none of these men had been at Trentham. But the show grounds buildings will be ready for occupation to-day, and the men will be quartered there. Drilling grounds, at present, are vacant sections everywhere, and often the public streets; Palmerston, indeed, has all tho appearance of a garrison town. But the citizens have risen to the occasion, and the men — a particularly fine body— are really honoured guests. Three or four hundred of thorn were inspected on Saturday while undergoing rudimentary drill instruction at the High School grounds, where, strange sight, the Minister for Defence witnessed two members of Parliament learning, side-by-side, the elementary movements of the goose-step ! OFF TO WAIKANAE. Journeying south by the Napier Mail, the Hon. James Allen and Colonel Gibbon spent another busy hour in the evening at Waikanae, where seven hundred men of the 7th Reinforcements are under canvas. The camp is on a- shingley; bushfringed paddock of ample area, situated opposite the railway. ~ Waikanae has not the fine porous soil of Rangiotu, and precautions have had to be taken against a recurrence of the deluge 'that fell when the men first arived there last Friday, though such a thing is unlikely. Tent floors are under construction — as many as thirty a day are being knocked together—the tents are ringed with ditches, and down the length of the camp which has a good fall, are deep drains, which in turn connect with huge soak holes. Health precautions have leen taken in the latrine and other sanitary arrangements, drying sheds with braziers axe provided and though it has meant tremendously hard work for all ranks, the camp for a temporary abode is exceedingly well-equipped, and trim and neat looking. The hard work, though severe upon the .men, has in some respects been advantageous, because it has kept their minds off the prevalent sickness. TRENTHAM PREFERRED. Colds and influenza are still about, with here and there a case of measles, but precautions are taken, and the measles cases are sent to the Otaki Hos pital, or are taken over by Mrs. Elgar. This lady has placed her picturesque home at Waikanae at the disposal at the sick. She is a qualified nurse, and her care and attention, and the comfort of her home will live long in the memory of those men of the 7th who have experienced them. The Minister and Colonel Gibbon paid a brief visit to Mra. Elgar's home; and they also inspected a schoohouse which is being utilised a» a sick parade building, a temporary emergency provision which is inadequate, and which will require to be improved. The camp has a large Salvation Army Marquee and other recreation provision, and the.postal and telegraph arangements are_ equally complete ac at Rangiotu. Major A. Westenholme is in charge, and has as his camp adjutant Captain Doney This camp is "run" as an auxiliary of Trentham. 1 ,Tlie men, from expressions ■ that were heard, seemed genuinely to wish to return to Trentham; but that matter has yet to be decided. The Hon. James Allen and Colonei Gibbon returned to Wellington on Saturday night by the New Plymouth mail. The .eicknees, both among the Trentham Regiment and at Waikanae appears to be well under control. At Palmerston the measles cases are dealt with at the Public Hospital. On Saturday there were 74 cases altogether receiving attention, of which number 58 were measles. Only one case was at all serious. The "miscellaneous" cases were chiefly influenza and colds. There was no pneumonia and no meningitis. At Waikanae there were two fresh cases of measles on Saturday. Measles cases there are dealt with as already stated. Only one case on Saturday was at all serious. No pneumonia had developed and no meningitis. On Saturday & • medical inspection of each man was held, a work entailing heavj duties upon the doctor in charge. YOU CAN'T RUB IT OUT. The pain of rheumatism is something that you cannot rub out. Every sufferer from rheumatism has been advised to rub this or that on the affected part^ but after all the rubbing, tho pain remained. Thin blood and rheumatism come together and if they are properly treated they will go together. One prominent I medical writer says that "there is no acute febrile disease in which anaemia occurs with greater rapidity." Anaemia means thin blood and thin blood is something that can be corrected, so why not build up the blood until the rheumatic poisons are driven out? This is exactly what is done in the treatment of rheumatism with Dr. Williams' Pink Pills. Acute muscular and articular rheumatism all show improvement as the thin blood is built up, and when the poisons in the blood are driven out the rheumatism does not return us long as tho blood is kept rich and red. Care in the diet is important during the treatment and every rheumatic sufferer should have two booklets published by the Dr. Williams' Medicine Co., Wellington, called "Building Up the Blood" and "What to Eat and How to Eat." They arc free on request. Your own druggist sejb Dr. Willia.ro*' Pink Pilla. — AdV^ " ,