SOLDIERS’ FOOD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12707, 31 July 1919, Page 5

SOLDIERS’ FOOD.

HOSPITAL CONDITIONS. A SATISFACTORY SETTLEMENT. I' or some weoks there have been rumours in circulation to the effect that the food supplied to the soldiers at tho Orthopaedic Hospital has not been satisfactory, It has also been alleged, that the amount supplied to the men is so small that they have to spend a considerable portion of their army pay in supplementing their rations. A “Star” reporter who visited the hospital yesterday and inquired into the complaints found that two or three weeks ago the meals had been moat unsatisfactory and that the men had iiad real cause for complaint. Not only were the rations short, but the food hod been badly cooked and the arrangements for serving out the meals were most unsatisfactory,. The whole trouble, it _ was ascertained, was due to difficulties- which the hospiitai authorities had in not being able to obtain an efficient kitchen staff. The food itself was good, but it was so badly cooked that the men were unable to eat it and most of them depended largely on the outside supplies, which were sent in by. the Red Cross Society and their own personal friends.

This _ regrettable state of affairs is now quite remedied and at present the soldiers are receiving good food, well cooked and with plenty of variety. Their chief complaint at the present time ig that no satisfactory solution has yet been found of the delay in serving out the meals. Yesterday when the reporter visited tho hospital he found that the men were given their soup at twelve o’clock and were then kept waiting until half-past twelve before tho meat and? vegetables came along. Another long wait then ensued before the pudding arrived. The midday meals, the men stated, had been quite satisfactory during the past week, but they complained that they were not given sufficient to eat for breakfast and tea.

The hospital authorities are used to providing meals for sick people, and they do not seem to realise tha’t we soldiers are all healthy men with good appetites,” said on© soldier. “We are au t merely maimed, and the fact that I’ve got something wrong with my leg has not affected my stomach in the slightest. I can still eat a hearty meal with the best of them.” The speaker stated that one small sausage or chop and some bread, and butter for breakfast was not sufficient, and on most mornings the sisters had' to pronde extra food given by the Red Gross Society. Regarding the delay in serving out the meals the speaker said they had had to get used to that. The hospital authorities evidently thought they were “gentlemen of leisure” and that it was best for them to have their meals spread over a long period! “Most of you men iiavb been in military hospitals in England, and I would like you to say whether the food here is as good or bettor than what you received in England,” asked the reporter.

The men generally agreed that tho food was better than what they had received in the English hospitals, with the exception of tho “ bad spin >* they bad. a fortnight ago. They also stated that tho food itself was good, and tho jrhole trouble seemed to be in tho cookhouse, but einc© they had complained things had greatly improved. The matron of th© Orthopedic Hospital stated to the reporter that the men had real cause for complaint a fortnight ago, but since then a new staff had been obtained for tho kitchen, and she did not anticipate any further difficulty in the matter. Regarding the men’s complaint that they did not receive sufficient food, she did not think this was well founded, as every endeavour was made to give the men as much.as they could eat, without running the risk of too much waste. ‘ ‘ After beiim in hospitals in England, where hardly a scrap of foodl was wasted, the waste here seems appalling to me, and yet it is hard to avoid it. Some days a man will eat a good hearty meal and another day he will take hardly anything.” The matron added that the chief difficulty at present was the delay in serving out the meals, and this they were doing their best to overcome. Considering the meals which the soldiers received in the English hospitals, she considered tho men were very well treated indeed, especially in the matter of extra delicacies provided by the Red Cross tSociety such as sweets, fruit, tinned meat, honey, jam, etc. The men also received an issue of four packets of cigarettes eaoh week, or a tin of -tobacco, whichever they preferred. In reply to a question, she said'that the cooking for the soldiers was done by the ordinary hospital' kitchen, and she thought the reason why a separate cookhouse had not been made was due to the fact that the Orthopaedic Hospital was part of the Christchurch Hospital, and not a separate military hospital, as was. th© case at Trehtham. The arrangements for th© meals, with the exception of the delay in serving, were, she considered, entirely satisfactory, and very few complaifats had been: made since the new kitchen staff had been obtained.