THE CADETS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12535, 24 June 1901, Page 8

THE CADETS.

- AN IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR QUARTERS. : An inspection of the cadets' quarters at the Normal School o.n Saturday showed that a very. • great improvement had been effected in. the ' diningrooms. The floor had been swept carefully, and, though it would still bear a scrubbing,' is as clean as can be expected, considering the great ..crowd; of boys. The tables were all cleaned, the food was arranged and distributed in a clean and orderly way, and better discipline was observed amongst the boys. The officer in charge explains that the original disorder was 'due to-the quite unexpected crowd of cadets. Mere corps arrived than were expected, and the corps generally brought more boys than they had given notice of. , AN UNFOUNDED RUMQUR. Considerable excitement was caused in 'town yesterday afternoon by a humour which spread very quickly that two mam--bers of cadet corps had died in the. hospital, and ( that twenty mere were dangerously ill from, poisouing ’caused ■ by eatng tinned jam, and a good deal of uneasiness was caused to many who had friends amongst the little soldiers. Surgeon-Major Thomas, P.M.O. for Canterbury, who hastaken, a particular interest in the cadets, gives the statement a flat denial. On being seen at a late hour, last evening, he stated that with the. exception of a couple of lads who were in the hospital suffer.ng from a chill and slight attacks of biliousness, the rest of his young charges were all- in good health. YOUTHFUL DESERTERS. Three cf the Oamaru cadets broke camp and returned home by the train on Saturday, being , evidently discontented-' with their lot. On Saturday morning five more lads from the same place were put in the i .guard-room for medical inspection, and | when Dr Thomas -arrived,' he found they - were Suffering from slight 5 chills, and ad-, vised their removal to the hospital as there was no accommodation for treating them at the camp:- Arrangements were made for a. covered conveyance to take them there, but by. the ■ time■* it arrived they : had disappeared. They were seen on the train by a reporter of this paper, and on i being asked why. they were leaving before the review,, they stated that they - had had enough-of it,, and wanted to get heme to get a decent feed. Asked whether they did not get enough to eat at the camp, they said that there was plenty of food of a kind, but fhaVit was not properly'cooked, and; that as they had been ordered to the hospital, they preferred going, home to go-; ihg thera, a« they supposed, they would miss the review in any case. ' , A CHURCH PARADE. ; Fifteen . cadet corps, under Captain Love.day, paraded for church yesterday after-: noon and .marched to the Cathedral. A -special 1 service -was held, and the Bishop preached to the boys on the duties and op, portuhities of a cadet. His sennom was : a very striking .one, and: evidently made a deep impression on the young soldiers. , A large numben of the public were; also present, the Cathedral being crowded. After the service the-cadets were lined up in the square, and then ' marched - hack to their quarters. - .