CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 148, 20 December 1917, Page 8

CONDITIONS IN ENGLAND

THE NEW ZEALAND HOSPITALS.

Mr. Frank Meadowcrof t, who has just retnrned to Wellington after a business visit to England, took the' opportunity while away of visiting the various New Zealand Military Hospitals in the' Old Country. 'He was greatly impressed with the institutions. at Hornchurch, Walton-on-Thames, and Brockenhurst, all of which, he told a Post reporter, are beautifully situated, especially that at Walton. Although excellently managed—and that remark applied to all the hospitals—the, Codford establishment, was situated in a cheerless spot, anil, from a layman's point of view, was unsuitable. However, the Now Zealanders were all quite content with their lot, and were, kept well supplied with luxuries as well as necessities. There was great disappointment among 'Main Body men over the fact that their leave to New Zealand was stopped. Regarding general conditions in Eng, land, Air. Meadowcroft said he had every reason to remember liis five-days' visit to London. There was an airraid on each night .except one, so things were fairly lively. Considerable damage was done, although the loss of life was not so great as one would expect. The poor took refuge in the tubes. In the hotels there were signs of a shortage of food, in that the amount of sugar and bread allowed for each diner was limited. Two pieces of bread were allowed, and the customer had the option of having it wasted or not. Butter appeared to be scarce, but margarine proved an excellent substitute. Tea could be had in sparing quantities only, and in small towns it was not available at all, sometimes. There was plenty of cocoa, : a great deal of which was supplied to the troops. '