THE MATARAE CAMP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20355, 12 March 1928, Page 14

THE MATARAE CAMP.

TO THE KDITOU. Sir,—There have been several letters appearing in both papers regarding the grievances of some of the men while in camp with the Otago Regiment. Several of the statements therein contained are perfectly ridiculous. One correspondent blames the Railways Department for his grievances. Tho Railways Department was not to blame in any degree, and it would be interesting to know how and whore such an absurd rumour started. Another complains of a shortage of bread, butter, and jam at lunch-time on Tuesday when the battalion was out in the field all day. As a matter of fact, after the battalion quitted the area, the rear party collected several boxes of bread, butter, and jam quite untouched and took them back to camp. It is reminiscent of the feast of the loaves and fishes, and if any man was hungry it was probably because of tho very short period of training the troops undergo and the fact that they have not been sufficiently trained to enable a rapid, yet efficient and economical, distribution of rations in the field. The only remedy for that is a longer period of training, but' I question whether the country is prepared to pay for that. That tho rations should be sufficient is shown by the fact that the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, when oversea, lived, and lived well, on a ration scale which was about three-quarters of the scale in force in tho territorial camps. It is a fact, however, that there were certain respects in which the feeding of the troops might have been bettor. The meat supplied was not of the quality it should have been; many of the dixies in which tea was served were worn out and made tho tea black in colour. It was, however, quite harmless, though not very attractive-looking. Several of the stoves and boilers were defective in some respects. All these deficiencies wore known to the responsible officers concerned long before the troops discovered them, ana those officers did their best to rectify, and did certainly mitigate, the inconveniences caused thereby. The colonel-commandant and the general officer commanding fully investigated the complaints that were made by me in this connection, and it is unlikely that they will recur. It must be borne in mind, However, that equipment will wear out and that taxpayers are always clamant to reduce the defence vote. On the other hand,it would be ridiculous to say that the men suffered any_ hardship. Some inconveniences they did endure, and that quite cheerfully on the part of 99 per cent, of them, as your reporters, who had the run of the camp, can testify. My only regret is that there should be some young men who cannot enduro these trifling inconveniences without rushing into print about it. Anyone who has gone on a hunting, fishing, or mountaineering expeditions has put up with a great deal more and counted it a pleasant experience.—I am, etc., H. E. Barbowclough, Lieut.-colonel, commanding Ist Battalion Otago Regiment. Dunedin, March 10.