TRENTHAM CAMP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16034, 28 September 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP.

The debate in the House of Representatives last night served the useful purpose of emphasising the duty of the Minister for Defence and his Department to act expeditiously upon the reports of SurgeonGeneral Henderson in all matters relating to the health of the men in camp. The causes of the deplorable conditions which led to the abandonment of Trentham camp in July may well be forgotten except in so far as they hold useful lessons for the future. The first of these is that the neglect of early precautions and of timely warnings led to the most regrettable of results. It was unquestionably shown by the Trentham report that the camp administration in the first half of this year was weak on its medical side. There was not then attached to the forces a highly qualified and trained Director of Medical Services, a fact which Mr. Allen attributes to a pre-war desire to curtail expense in the Defence Department. It may be doubted whether Mr. Allen rightly interpreted the general wish of the people of the Dominion in this matter for it cannot be said that the cost of universal training ever blinded any considerable section of the people of New Zealand to its enormous national value. In any case there is no such parsimonious check upon defence expenditure in New Zealand to-day. It is not a question of making conditions easy for the soldiers, but of making them wholesome and healthful. So long as money is wisely spent to that end Mr. Allen need not be apprehensive of criticism. Surgeon-General Henderson has been detached from the British Army to assist New Zealand in camp organisation, and the least the Government can do for the soldiers and for the public is to see that his recommendations are promptly carried into effect.