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Park would be boggy. He said we had no option, and if rain did come we should have to go up among the trees. 173. Did you see anything of the procession complained of ? —Nothing whatever. I did not know anything about it until Colonel Penton telephoned up to me. 174. It did not start from the camp? —I think not. It certainly did not leave the camp while I was there. 175. Did you yourself make any inquiry about it?— Yes; I made inquiries amongst the officers and some of the men. Colonel Penton said that the men engaged in the procession wore red puggarees round their hats; but there were three companies that had red puggarees round their hats. 176. Have you any complaint to make personally as to the arrangements about the camp ?—I have no complaint to make at all, except that if the water had been laid on with larger piping, there would not have been so much trouble. 177. Did the men get their meals in camp, or did they go out for them ?—The men had their meals regularly, but under the adverse circumstances I issued instructions that the men could leave the camp up to 10 o'clock at night. 178. Did the men sleep out of camp ?—Not to my knowledge. 179. Was guard mounted every night ?—-Yes, a sergeant's guard —-twelve men at night, and six in the day-time. 180. Colonel Davies.] You had four battalions in camp ?—Yes. 181. Has anything been done with regard to a battalion staff?—We have no battalion staff. Each battalion had a quartermaster. 182. You had a brigade there practically. Were any written orders ever issued detailing how they were to get the battalions into order ? Did you detail so-and-so commanding a battalion, and did each battalion appoint its own quartermaster ?—Yes. Each battalion had to appoint one sergeant and three men. The officers commanding battalions came to me, and I gave them instructions and left them to do what they thought was necessary. They all had their own quartermaster. Each company even had its own quartermaster-sergeant. I cannot say who they were, but I know they did appoint quartermasters. Captain Winter showed me his battalion orders he was sending out on two or three occasions, and he kept his book in very good order. 183. Did each company have its own orderly officer ?—Yes. 184. And there were extra officers?— Yes. They were there to see that the men were looked after properly. 185. Did not the extra officers clash with the others?—No; they did not seem to. 186. Were there any special orders about guards and horse-pickets issued ?—Yes ; they furnished their own picket- and line-sentries 187. Was there a surgeon? —He was not actually appointed, but he took the duties—Dr. De Lisle. 188. Was he the only one in camp ?—I was informed by the Defence Department that Dr. Mackenzie would attend to any of our wants, but we never wanted him. 189. Was Dr. De Lisle in attendance every day?— Yes. 190. Did he complain about anything ? —He complained that the tents were wet on the Monday ; and after that the men were allowed to go anywhere they liked. 191. Were you ever asked anything about this matter of catering ?—Yes. 192. By whom?—By Colonel Newall. It was in reference to the regimental system of cooking, which, in my opinion, has never been a success in any part of this Island. I object to it very strongly. I made a report to the Officer Commanding the Forces on the 28th June, which was received by the Defence Office on the Ist July. I wrote on the 15th May to Colonel Newall re the cooking for mounted men at Newtown Park. This was a month before the assembly of the troops. I wrote again a few days after the receipt of Colonel Newall's answer, making further objection to the catering system. 193. When you heard about this procession what steps did you take to find out the cause of the trouble ?—I only heard about it through the telephone in the evening, and at the same time Colonel Penton told me to have a parade ready for him next morning at 10 o'clock. I did nothing in the matter until Colonel Penton explained it to me. 194. What time of the day did the procession take place ?—Some time in the evening, I believe. 195. Until what time was leave given ?—Generally leave was given up to 10 o'clock. 196. Did you have a parade the next morning ?—Yes, at 10 o'clock. 197. Did Colonel Penton go to the camp ?—Yes. 198. Was the whole of the brigade there ? —Yes. 199. Can you tell us what steps the Commander of the Forces took ?—The Commander of the Forces used fairly strong language to the men, and said that four of them were acting a very cowardly part, for if they had any courage they would stand out, and take the blame off the remainder of the men. He blamed the officers as well, and I detailed them off to find out what they could about the matter. Later on, Colonel Penton told me that he had discovered that the men who had been engaged in the procession wore red puggarees. 200. You say he said they were cowardly : who did he refer to ?—He was referring to the four men in the brigade. He said that they had done a disgraceful thing, and that they were cowards and curs for not coming forward to take the blame themselves, and allowing the blame to be placed on the whole of the men. 201. Zou say it was brought down to men that wore red puggarees? —Yes; but there were three companies that wore red puggarees—the Hunterville, Hawera, and Alexandra mounted men.