THE KITCHENER CAMP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 14344, 24 October 1910, Page 2

THE KITCHENER CAMP.

During the discussion on the Defence Estimates in the House on Friday night Mr. Okey wished to move as an amendment that the vote of £IO,OOO for camps should bo reduced by £lO, as an indication of dissatisfaction in connection with the outbreak of typhoid fever through the drinking of bad water by Taranaki Volunteers at the Johnsonville encampment. This was ruled out of order, but subsequently Mr. Lang moved an amendment that the vote bo reduced by £1 as an indication that when camps of training or courses of instruction take place better provision should be made for those who arc called out,. The motion was defeated, but it gave rise to some discussion on the subject of the compensation paid to the men who suffered from typhoid fever after the encampment. The discussion made it clear that some of the members of the House are not yet acquainted with the true circumstances. Even the Prime Minister is labouring under a misapprehension, for he said that all the water at tiic camp was officially passed, and that the men were instructed to fill their water-bottles at the camp. Now Dr. Carbery, who was in charge of the medical staff, said in his evidence that he found the water supply to bo of questionable purity and that a bacteriological examination, made at his request, disclosed the presence of certain organisms owing to sheep droppings on the watershed. The medical staff advised (it could not order) that the water should bo boiled, hut it was not boiled. With respect to the rations, it is a fact that Quarter-Master Captain Okoy tried on the previous evening to get rations served out to his men, but failed, being told that there were no orders as to the men going out early next morning. They were, however, called at 4 o’clock next morning and had to be on parade at 4.30, so that they had ho time to obtain either rations or water. Consequently they went out .without food or water, and as their last meal was the previous evening, and their next on their return to camp after three o’clock in the afternoon, they were without food for about twenty hours and all the water they had was what they obtained by the roadside. Under the circumstances it seems to us that the least the department can fairly do is to pay the men their out-of-pocket expenses. In at least one case tins has not been done; the victim lost •him time, suffered a severe illness, and is still actual cash out of pocket. If the report of the Board of Inquiry had boon acted upon no more would have been hoard of the matter, but what appears to us a grave injustice has been committed for the saving of a few pounds.