NEW ZEALAND CAMPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND CAMPS

BUILDINGS FOR TROOPS SPEEDY CONSTRUCTION MR. SEMPLE PLEASED The speed with which military camps and Royal New Zealand Air Force stations have sprung up in New Zealand was praised by the Minister for Public Works, the Hon. R. Semple, in an interview with the Christchurch Press. His claims of the competence and efficiency of the Public Works Department to undertake any emergency job for the safety of New Zealand had been more than vindicated, Mr. Semple said. At ‘Burnham, more, than 2000 men were well provided for. Several buildings had to be built yet, but they were only small jobs compared with those already done. The major portion of the work was well and truly completed. “The ibuilding of a military camp at Burnham has been the fastest work in New Zealand,” said Mr. Semple. “A town has been built there

in the last month. In speedy construction, Papakura is next. In these two camps, I know of nothing faster in this country or in any other.”

The Trentham camp was more difficult to build. A tremendous amount of work was necessary to overcome the mud' problem. In the last war, 200 soldiers had died from spinal meningitis. In addition to laying many thousands of yards of rotten rick, the Public Works Department had carried out a complete and systematic drainage of the whole area. This work was well under way. Papakura, which was a camp for the infantry contingent from the Auckland province, would be finished ; by the end of nexL month. Flying Schools Camps for three infantry baitalions at Trentham, Burnham and Papakura, and flying training schools at Wigram, Whenuapai, Woodbournc, Blenheim, New Plymouth, and the Taieri, had been entrusted to his department, said Mr. Semple. "It is a mighty big job, but we have it mastered,” he said. ■New Plymouth and the Taieri were the civilian aerodromes which had been -taken charge of and brought under the training scheme. Another training venture was Weraroa. No instructions for the conversion of the youth reformatory school into an air force training station had been given to the Public Works Department to date; but he understood that only a small amount of preparatory work was needed. The new aerodromes at Whenuapai and Ohakea were not completely finished, but both grounds were sufficiently advanced to permit of the landing of machines. At Ohakea 1,200,000 yards of material had been shifted in 10 months. The problem of Whenuapai was to obtain foundations. A depth of SOft. was reached to get sound foundations for the modern hangars, in which a game of Rugby football could be played. ‘‘Work at Wigram is going on wonderfully well,” said Mr. 'Semple. ‘‘The men are well housed, and we are ahead of the demands for accommodation.” Describing the camp buildings in all parts of New Zealand, the Minister said the Public Works Department had to build 750 buildings, covering 3,000,000 square feet, and it could be safely said that the back of the job was broken.