The Daily News. THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1915. THE TRENTHAM CAMP.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 July 1915, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1915. THE TRENTHAM CAMP.

The decision of the (joveriinient to appoint a Commission to enquire into tile! troubles which have arisen at the Treutham camp, particularly as to the outbreak of epidemics, 'lias been made none too soon. (Public opinion has been very pronounced over this matter, and the urgent need for a thorough enquiry has beeji stressed. In tile general way the appointment of Commissions is regarded as an easy way of getting out of a difficulty tluit the Government is not auxious to ffcse, 'but in this instance it ip isuly fair to assume flintt the enquiry is instituted in the interests of those who 'art at great sacrifice giving t'neir services to t!:e Empire,, ar.d therefore demand at the hands of the Government special consideration, whereaa if a, tithe ef the complaints are true the linen haTe very good eaute to ventilate the grievances with which they have been inflicted. It is uo't to be expected that the r»al truth will ever uppear. Thipe who have h«d te endure the conditions which prevailed at Trentilam liavo toa much grit, and are so 'permeated witli patriotism tk*t they iiave and will put m with fill th&t /all« to their Jot wit" xt murmur, i'rom the outset r.-r. bare not gene well at Trr:.. ;.j.den being subjected to aW '

restrictions, whilst eomj/n • ■ ■ j:iism and incompetence o ; !uve not,been unknown. ./■' . J>o Department lia* backiwl • ,;onsible authorities in tile tr -'.limed British rod-tape •• ii-t circumstances have at !<■'• ■' < ••■ il too strong for th# Minister ■■ ; o([ an enquiry. (The only mr • ul>t with regard to the Coir .r ; ~e to whether its scope of it" be sufficiently wide to b» of There can tx) no disguising / , :iot that sickness has beanf.tr r ■ '.dent. Every man who no i < : ■ .'.:*lly fit, «0 that ahkjMM or i-l.ould h*Tfl b«Aul fari At v jt sort of irwtnieat th# r«--.i:i ii.ay 1>« imagined from th« f*<rt .'•o t the. mediiftl ierrite thera h unques-i.i'-.riatily tfhort of requirement. In most inilituf straps thera ii a disposition an pari ol th# men to keep away from th« doctors' tent till actually forced to go there, an 4 t!l#y have very good reason for so doing. The main question that the Commission nvill hav# to consider, if they approach their task in th# broad manner which i 9 expected, ia that relating to the suitability of the camp for its present purpose. On tlkia sribjeat th# Lyttelton Times remarks: "If tha polky of centralisation ia to bo adhered to and tha present sit# of the rroads and drains must be constructed, dry quarters inust ba provided 'for th# soldierd in training, and n fully adequato hospital must 'be completed m «arly aa possible. The present rate of aisknesS is certainly disturbing, but th# actir# »tops which have Been t&kcu during tha last few day 9 to topo with the trouble may %e expected to haTO th# result of diminishing "iJlie number of patients. It will, however, probably be found difficult to stamp oirt influenza and .measles now tbat those maladies have got a grip. We trust that the Government "will rise to the occasion and allow no false prejudices to stand in the way of changes, even if a drasti# alteration in policy 'be needed. To s)# quit# landid, tho amount of illcest at tli# «amp and the manner of its ♦re«,tm«m.t iuggeslt rather serious mia«nd whil# nobody desires to find fault overyboily has a right to expect that errors shall b# promptly corrected. ETho liaalth of the men in camp is of the utmost importance. .What has taken [dace Justifies publio uneasiness, which can b# allayed only by thorough investigation and a determination to do everyI thing po*»ibl« to remedy the situation. The uprooting and removal of the whole camp, if that ?.lionl(l be found necessary, would be a- small price to pay for the subjugation of disease. In the mean- ' time 'Trc liope that if there is not nn early improvement in the health of the large body of men at Trent'ham the f!o----vermnent will not hesitate to accept the generous ofl'er of tho Wellington Racing Olub. The «lub is prepared to abandon tho race imef.ting set down for the middle of this inosth and hand its large buildings over to the authorities for.tha aceom'modation of sick floldiers, jind the. existing cireumstances prompt us to believe that the offer might very profitably be accepted forthwith." There is another matter that should ««mpr Wi« attention of the Commissi#*, and that is the way i* wkich mea ar» »aßa Si fe'k* sick leave. !4 Wise i* point is iflhafc of a recruit who was eent from Trtntham to Ohristeliuroh a few days after a term in hospital. The recruiting question, it is stated, was sent into hospital suffering from what tilie military medical officers diagnosed as influenza, but whieh a Cliristohurch doctor calls "a slight touch of pneumonia."' 'Hie patient's temper-.-ture rnnpeil frolo4 to I*B for four of bis stay ia hospital, and on the fifth flay it had flropped to norm!* 1 . On the fifth day lie was asked by someone in authority if he had any relatives or friends in th# Dominion. He stated that he had » friend in Christcliureh, and after giving the address of this friend he was handed a free railway and steamer pass to Ohristchurcli, and a certificate of leav# of a'bsenca for ten days. He was warned that if he did not t-peud his period of leswe ot tho nddre.ss he had given he would be liable to tie treated as a deserter, anil then, without further instruction or opportunity for 'expressing any opinion of his own bn the subject, he was told to get up and dress, and was shipped straight away to Christchnrch. lie had talked his last fortnight's pay, and bad only a shilling in his pocket. If the facts are as stated and men are treated in this callous fashion, there is need for -a d'rasti# alteration. We rightly place a high value on the services of our patri- (