WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 788, 19 August 1916, Page 14

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

- ■ »-'" AFFAIRS AT TRENTHAM. LEGISLATION BY THE EXECUTIVE. [Special to The Sun.l WELLINGTON, August 18. The framing of regulations under the War Regulations Act and the; Military Service Act is proceeding; slowly, and there are indications that the Government is encountering the difficulties natural to this method of legislation. The two Acts are indi-j cations of intention rather than workable measures, and the real machinery has to be provided by re-1 gulation. ' The responsibility cast! upon Ministers, in these conditions,! is a very heavy one, and possibly the j Prime Minister and his colleagues would not be sorry now to share it with Parliament. Some of the proposed regulations were considered at a prolonged Cabinet meeting yesterday, but they are not likely to be published for some lime yet. Two of the Wellington clubs have anticipated the Government's intention by declaring an "anti-shouting" rule on their premises. The conditions are less stringent than they be on ordinary licensed premises, but officials and members are reported to be fairly well satisfied with the change. It appears, however, that a rule against treating does not cover the practice known as the "bob in." Members can create a little fund by subscription for their mutual refreshment without transgressing the rule against "shouting."

The Government's regulation on the subject is being awaited with a great deal of interest. Some misunderstanding appears to exist regarding the proposal to exclude women from hole! bars. It has been pointed out that women in search of liquor do not as a rule enter the bars and thai they are often served in private rooms and bottle stores, which have become very common in Wellington. But the intention of the Government, as far as it can be gathered, is not to impose prohibition on women, but to prevent women mixing with men in bars. One may say without going into unpleasant details that iiic capital city has some decidedly unsavoury areas, and the presence of the soldiers makes this matter important. TRENTHAM CAMP. "I do not believe that Trenthnm Camp is unhealthy," said a medical officer in conversation with your correspondent. "The health record of the camp, judged by the statistics, is a good one. A very large sum of money has been spent in the effort to make the roads, hutments, drainage, water supply, and general equipment as good as can be. But after saying all that one may have a regret that the camp was ever constructed on its present site. The natural drainage is poor, the water lies too near the surface, and the soil seems impervious. I do not Hunk the site can have been selected deliberately. The soldiers went there because the rifle ranges were there, and because things had to be done in a hurry." A layman may hesitate to venture into this field of discussion at the present time, while military and medical experts are busy with Treutham Camp. But when the war is over and there

i lis time and opportunity to review j the whole matter, the authentic i may recall the fact that the late Lon i Kitchener indicated two sites for bi{ : military camps in New Zealand. One site was on the Canterbury Plains, i and the olher was in the centre ot I the North Island. There was splen- ! did natural drainage and an abunj dant supply of pure water at each | place. ■