A VOLUNTEER SCANDAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11685, 21 June 1901, Page 5

A VOLUNTEER SCANDAL.

THE NEWTOWN PARK COMMISSARIAT.

BADLY COOKED FOOD. A REMARKABLE PROCESSION. SCENE OX PARADE. STRONG WORDS BY COLONEL rENTON. [in TKLE'-.P.APn.— CGHTtESroXDEST.] WEU.iviiTON-, Thursday. Covsii)KP.\TiLE scandal has been caused by the complaints ay to the tieatment of the visiting mounted troops who were encamped in Newtown Pari: this week. The heavy shower; of rain which succeeded each other (benched tin; men and their tents. Added to this unfavourable weather conditions was time of inattention in the catering department. The horses, it is staled, won: kepi. upon short allowance, and the men often went hungry, both by reason of no provisions, and because the food, when supplied, was badly cooked.

One of the ofiiccr.-:, who had seen service with our contingents in South Africa, is reported to have said that in the whole of his experience at the front he. had never put in such a week a 5 that just passed at Newtown Park. " Hungry we often were when at the from, because there was no food," he remarked, " but when wo did get food, it was cooked, nob sent to us half-cooked. : ' One trooper said he wouldn't have minded the treatment so much if it only concerned himself, but when it came to starving his horse, "it, was time to squeak." He added that he had had to go into town, and buy a iced lor his horse as well as for himself. The grumblings of a section of the mounted men culminated yesterday afternoon iu a- .scene, which has greatly distressed the Defence Office, and has caused a. scandal which has become die talk of Iha town. A civilian paraded the main streets of the town bearing upon the end of a, pole a bottle of tea and a large piece of underdone meat, alleged to leave been served out. as food to a company in the park yesterday. On the top of the pole, over the meat, a legend was written in large, letters, "Newtown Park Commissariat!' The bearer of the pole attracted much attention, and as he proceeded quite a procession was formed, which, amid much cheering and groaning, passed not only along the main streets, but through the streets around Government House. Four troopers were noticed taking a prominent part in the head of the procession, and their demonstrations gave the affair an importance which otherwise would not have been attached to it. Early this morning Colonel Penton (Commandant of the Forces) ordered a parade of the troops in the park, and at ten o'clock, accompanied by Major Madocks, the Corn mandant at rived. Ho was received by Lieutenant -Colonel Sommerville, who is in command of the camp, and Colonel ronton immediately called the officers around him. He then addressed them in a severe tone upon the subject of "last night's disgraceful proceedings." 'the action of the four troopers who took part in the procession, he said, ha J? brought disgrace upon the whole of the proceedings of the week. it was the most disgraceful thing that had happened in the whole of the colonies, and it. was deeply painful that it should have happened when the representative of the King was with us. An example litest be made of the men who had been, ths cf-r.se of the scandal, and he (Colonel Benton) looked to the officers to find out those man and bring them before him for punishment. ft was also to be regretted that- the men should have aired their grievances in the press. Finally, the Colonel said h? laid the hole blame upon the otlicers. "You should have seen to the complaints «<f the men, found out what was wanted, and. by lemedying them, prevented this disgrace.'' Colonel l-'ommcrviUe v..is understood to say that he had tried his best- to get the bad conditions of affairs remedied, but without success.

The officers then dispsrsed, some muttering unutterable things, and went, along the ranks 01 their companies peeking the names of "the. four." Some of the men laughed outright when, the question was put to them, and the ofiic-fis had to import that no names were procurable. Then Colonel ToSe-renton addressed himself to the whole of the troops, lie commented by saying that «]> till yesterday the men had home their hard lot. like soldiers, bill by the action of four " infern cowads" the whole regiment had been disgraced. There, were in the ranks, ho said, home infernal cure." who were not men enough to step forward and own up, so as to save the good name of their comrades. "Vi m four mis." exclaimed the Colonel, "who have spoilt the whole show, have not the pluck to come out, but you go itnd make a disgraceful scene when the son of your King is present in the city. In my regiment, if any of the men had done as these four have done, their comrades would have given them a- jolly bad time." At this interesting point of the proceeding, Colonel Pen I on, who was addressing he men with a great deal of warmth, observed a press representative, who was standing some little distance away on the footpath, taking a note. The Colonel paused, and in a stentorian voice called to the pres-.m >..i, " Will you leave here, please,'' and the. pressman withdrew out of earshot.

The Colonel then continued to address (lie troops for a fevt minutes, after which the men were dismissed to their quarters. 'Hie parting advice then given by the. Commandant to Colonel Sommcrvill© was "There will lV? to be a searching inquiry into ibis."

Many of the nun k.iv lint after their Wellington experiences they will not go to the review at 'hristehuceh.

An officer who has had .-.cine experience in camp life gives his views as to the encampment as follows : —'" What seems to annoy officers and men most of all is that they were left in that hoi rille mud hole doing absolutely nothing, mid with no orders for the day, while they mi'dit have been allowed to attend sonic of the ceremonies in town, cither collectively or individually. M(sl. of litem had not seen the Duke and Duchess, and 1 hey would all have been glad to see the presenilation of medals. There was a most hitter complaint that while the paid officers of I he Government were having a good time in the city there was no one to attend to the wants of the sufferers in 'the miidholc,' and that not one of their officers had even been asked to any of the public functions in town. Making every allowance for incidental oversights, there is no doubt ('ell the 850 men now camped at N'ewtown have been grossly neglected. We do no! thoroughly appreciate our volunteers at home. YVe should remember that the fine men who ha.ve upheld the noble traditions of ciiir nation in South Africa are nothing more or less than a sample of these fine volunteers now hi town, who can truly say of the former, 'they came of our lot; they were brothers to us; they were fellows we saw and knew.' The man who. at this time of the year comes out on a well-kept horse, is a man who, having given the use of himself and valnabt horse to his country, to say bin.' of the necessary expense or keening a hois" and purchasing good gear, is a linn who deserves well of his country, and should be shown that his selfsacrifice is appreciated."