ALLEGED DRUNKENNESS AT CAMPS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 10 May 1912, Page 5

ALLEGED DRUNKENNESS AT CAMPS.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 9. Arising out of allegations made regarding drunkenness at Territorial camps, the officers of the Christchurch Prohibition League have addressed the following letter to Mr A. M. Myers, Minister of Defence: "We are enclosing a copy of a letter addressed to General Godley, in which certain facts are stated concerning drinking in connection with Territorial camps. We have no reason to believe that the condition of affairs prevailing at the camos specified was any worse than that obtaining at other camps. Indeed, knowing the officers, we have every reason to believe that they were extremely solicitous for the welfare of those under them. The fact of the matter is that the camps should not have been placed in the proximity of hotels. When the Defence Bill was going through the House your predecessor in office, as Defence Minister, promised definitely, in reply to Mr Newman, that no camp would be established within five miles of an hotel. We think you will agree with us that anart altogether from the moral aspect, from a military and disciplinary standpoint, this is necessary and desirable. In addition to this we wish to ur?*e strongly this aspect of the question: That the camps are compulsory and' consist largely of mere boys; that parents are compelled to send their sons for militnrv training; and tiiof under these conditions they have a rio-ht to expect that the utmost care will be taken to preserve from contamination their sons, who are at an age at which few boys have learned fixed principles." In the letter to General fWley. instances are given of obiectionable conduct on the part of Territorials at the Temoleton and Rangiora camps, dnA to drinking. The letter concludes: "With regard to the camps with which we are more closely associated, we have brought no charges of extensive drunkenness, and we have recognised that on your own part, and on that of some of the commanding officers, there has been an earnest effort to stop all drinking, but our point is that so Ions? as the sites of camps are chosen with disregard to the promise made by the late Minister of Defence that no camp would be held in close provimity to licensed houses, it is impossible to prevent a certain amount of drinking. No^% a<? the Territorial camps do not consist of volunteers, but of young lads whose parents are compelled by the law to send their sons for military training, we think we make no extreme demand when we urge that th« nrnTni se referred to shall be rigidly fulfilled."