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200. When the men complained did they go round ? —Yes. 201. What happened after that?— The things never seemed to improve very much. 202. You never heard of the complaints going any further ? —I believe some of them spoke to Colonel Sommerville. 203. Do you know that they did?— Yes, officers did. 204. Did they put it in their daily reports ? —I do not know. 205. Can you tell us of any orderly officers that you remember going round to any of the tents and having complaints made to them ?—No, I cannot remember any particular man complaining to any officer. 206. What officers do you remember going round to visit the men ?—Lieutenant Riddle. 207. Were you with him when he was going round ?—Yes. 208. Did you hear complaints made to him about the food ? —Not direct complaints. I heard remarks made when he was inspecting. They were not direct complaints, but grumbling. 209. Is that not equivalent to making a complaint ?—I suppose it is. 210. You mean that it was not done formally?— Yes. 211. Do you remember what the men said to him? —-They said the meat was not properly cooked, and was partially raw. 212. That was when he was round inspecting?—-Yes. They did not seem satisfied with it. 213. You do not know what became of those complaints ?—No. 214. Major Hawkins.] Was this your first experience in battalion or brigade camps ?—No; I was at the Easter encampment at Wanganui last year. 215. Had you an orderly sergeant and corporal ever) day ?—Yes. 216. Did they carry out their duties as non-commissioned officers ? —Yes, as far as I know. 217. Do you know whether any quartermaster signed requisition forms as to the quality and quantities of food, and so on ? —I believe so. 218. You do not know of your own knowledge ?— No. Corporal George Ward examined. (No. 7.) 219. The Chairman.] What corps do you belong to?— The Hawera Mounted Rifles. 220. Were you in camp at Newtown Park during the Royal visit ?—Yes ; part of the time. 221. When did your corps go into camp there ?—We arrived here on Sunday night, and went straight into camp. 222. You remained in camp until when? —Till the morning of the 18th. 223. Were you not in camp after that day?—No ; I was taken ill. 224. Did you leave the camp then ? —Yes. 225. Up to the time you left how were the rations that were supplied to you ?—They were short, and dirty, and burned. 226. What food are you speaking of?— The meat, potatoes, and generally the food we had. The bread looked as if it had fallen out of the baskets. 227. When it was clean was it right? —Yes. 228. Was the butter good ?—Yes. 229. How often did you have potatoes ? —Every meal. 230. Were they good ?—Yes. They were not washed too clean. 231. What was the condition of the meat served out to you ?—One side was underdone, and the other side burned. 232. Was the meat itself good ?—lt was good meat spoiled in the cooking. 233. How about the forage for your horses?— Our horses fared well. They could not have fared better. 234. How about your tent accommodation?— There was a scarcity of bedding the first night, but afterwards it was all right. 235. Were you in the muddy part of the camp ?—-Yes. 236. Was there much mud ? —A good bit. There were from 2 in. to 4 in. of mud. 237. Could anything have been done to remedy that state of things?— There was nothing done with us as regards the mud until some of the corps started shifting. We were ordered by Captain Bartlett to shift up to the trees. 238. How long were you ill ?—I was in bed on the 18th, and nearly all of the 19th. 239. How many tents were allotted to your corps ?—Eight. 240. How many men were there in a tent? —Six in seven of them. 241. How many orderlies did your corps provide for the rations per tent?— One man per tent. 242. Did you see the cooking-kitchen?— Yes. 243. What was it like ? —lt had a corrugated roof, with wooden sides and an open front. 244. Did you see any cooking done there?— Yes; I saw the chops, steak, and sausages cooked on the bars alongside. It was not exactly underneath, but close by. 245. Did your men get chops, steaks, and sausages?— Yes. 246. How often ?—They had them several times while I was in camp. 247. Were they cooked all right? —No; they were similar to the beef. 248. Did you notice the cooking arrangements outside that cookhouse?— No. 249. Was there plenty of latrine accommodation ?—Yes. 250. Did an officer visit the tents during meal-times ?—Our sergeant-major visited the tents. 251. Not an officer ?—Yes ; Lieutenant Matthews. 252. Were any complaints made to Lieutenant Matthews ?—Yes ; in addition to the provisions not being cooked properly, they were not washed well, and the bread was dirty. 253. How often did you hear complaints made to him of that nature ? —Only once. 254. Can you tell me what date that was ?—No.