NEWTOWN PARK SCANDAL

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 8226, 13 September 1901, Page 1

NEWTOWN PARK SCANDAL

(BY TELEGRAPH 1 Wellington, September 12. The report of the Royal Commission, which was set up to inquire into the conduct of the Newtown Park camp during the Royal visit, was laid -in the table of the House to-d'ay. The -Commissioners report that Newtown Park was wholly unsuitable for an encampment of mounted men at that time of the year; that not sufficient measures were taken to provide rations for officers and- men, and that there appears to have been wholly •insufficient provision by the officers of the day, or other orderly officers, to issue cooked- rations at the camp. There wasi no inspection by the officer commanding the Wellington district of the 'site of the camp or of the arrangements made for the comfort and convenience of the men and horse's. The. wishes and orders of the Defence Minister were that the men and horses were to be properly accommodated and rationed. Although, (says the report) the demonstration in. the camp cannot in any way be justified, _ at may be urged by the men in extenuation that proper complaints had wholly failed to obtain any redress of thedr undoubted grievances. Such neglect of the .men'slegitimate complaints tends to incite to breaches of discipline. As to Colonel Pentons words, "Cowardly curs." the report says that it applied only to those present, of any, who had taken part in the demonstration. In conclusion, the Commissioners recommend—(l) That a full battalion staff should be appointed for each battalion -of mounted rifles as soon as possible. (2) That sufficient and proper cooking utensils should l ? e issued to every country corps, and that, infuture, at all encampments, -rations should be issued uncooked to battalions and-com-panies. (3) That greater attention should ■be given to the training of officers of \ olun(beers on .staff duties, especially an those known as "B" duties .or the quartermasters' department, (4) That in future all large camps should be officially inspected by an officer of the permanent staff, i with'a, view to ensuring that all proper arrangements are.made in- connection, with I the land prior to its occupation by the troops. -==