PREPARING CAMP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 289, 7 December 1939, Page 4

PREPARING CAMP

DELAY AT WAIOURU TROUBLE WITH MATERIALS Although certain Public Works Depailment employees at Waiouru ex- : pressed the opinion that they would not work with military engineers, the 'delay in preparing the camp for the !arrival of the main body of the Special [Military Force is stated to have been, due not to this reason but to delays in obtaining delivery of materials. Public Works officials at the camp l state that nothing serious occurred, .and that the matter was quickly ! settled. ' Twenty-four engineers artived from [Ngaruawahia early last week to [handle camp equipment and unload .stores and it was reported that an offer was made to these men to assist lin the general work of preparing ths 'camp, but they had their allotted duties to perform. It was originally expected that ths I camp would be ready for the first Ithree units the 19ih. (Wellington! jßattalion, the New Zealand Engineeis, ■ and the Divisional Cavalry—at leasl a week ago. The main buildings to be constructed have been cookhouses, mess-rooms and like structures, all in pel manent materials, sleeping accommodation being tents, but progress was not nearly as rapid in the final stages as was desirable. For the army the serious aspect of the delay which has occurred is that, the training programme of other units which are to follow the first group into camp has had to be completely rearranged. One result may foe that the Christmas leave of some of the troops will be reduced in order Ito give them the opportunity of reIceiving mass Instruction at Waiouru. I Some may even have to be sent overseas without being given all of that (portion of their New Zealand training i which most closely resembles actual I war conditions.