THE MAY MOM GAMP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16548, 23 November 1915, Page 9

THE MAY MOM GAMP

INSPECTION BJ SURGEON-GENERAL HENDERSON. (Pxb .Unitid Pbkss Association.) WELLINGTON, November 22. Surgeon-general Henderson, on his return from the south, visited May Morn camp yesterday (Sunday). He was accompanied by the Chief of tho General Staff (Colonel Gibbon) and tho Director of Military Hospitals (Colonel Valintine). In' a statement' -to-day General Henderson pid ho hud made a iietailed -inspection last-' ing- over two hours of. everything in tho camp, including tho. hospital. As a result " of the recent heavy ancL continuous-weather the camp certainly was muddy, but this was only natural, and would be expected in any temporary oamp under existing weather conditions ; in fact, it, was ' not so muddy lis might have Been expected. Some of the tents, whilst being capable of keeping out . ordinary showers of rain, had proved to be not waterproof during heavy storms of rain ■when driven with reccnt, >lngh winds. This was an unavoidable hardship, which men have frequently to put up with in oampS of this nature. Moreover, _ there, were n6t sufficient tents available in the,;dominion to enable only perfect ones to; be; issued for the use of the troops, but this disability was cfnly a temporary one, pending the erection of a pertaanent camp at Featlierston and the arrival of ,a large. consignment of tents which had been ,on order for some time from India. The men who desired it were given shelter in the' mill building-.. / Many, however, preferred to remain in their . tents, remarking iihat they were back- , blocks men, and were used to 'such conditions. Drying tents had been erected, in which the men could dry their clothes; and' by tho courtesy of Mr Seed, the manager, additional lines had been put up in' the May Morn Mill, on which clothes could also .be dried. Surgeon-general Henderson, stated thai: . he could find nothing unsatisfactory in the. camp or of a nature: predisposing to disease. Tho camp was only in the nature of a temporary one, and the incinerators were working -well. Tlk> soakage pita wure answering their purpose, and tho surface drains were being cut as originally intended. Tho o<imp would lxi .evacuated by the two battalions of tho New Zealand Tiiflo Brigade early next week, as 90011 as they had completed their musketry. v-hicJi they were firing on tho ranges, at Trontham during tho present week. Tho camp would then ■ be left vpjO.nit for a period of two weeks, when it would be reoocupied for a- period of three or four weeks, when its continuance would no longer ,be necessary. Surgeon-genera! Henderson added that on the 20th iust. there were only 26, oasesif) the hospital out of 2500 taion in camp. This worked ro.it about I prr cent,, vet even this small percentage were all minor femes. IL. . J II Ml—