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Captain Edwin Bartlett examined. (No. 10.) 127. The Chairman.] What is your name, rank, and corps?— Edwin Bartlett, Captain Commanding the Hawera Mounted Rifles. 128. How long have you been in command of that corps ?—Since my return from Africa in March last. 129. How long have you been a member of the corps ?—Since 1895, I think it was. 130. Which contingent were you with in South Africa?— The first. 131. Did you go into camp in June last at Newtown Park with your corps ?—Yes. 132. How many strong were you ?—Forty-six. 133. How many tents had you?— Six, including the officers'. 134. Was the tent accommodation, in your opinion, sufficient ?—Yes, just about sufficient. 135. Had you plenty of straw ?—No. 136. Did you ask for more?— Yes. 137. Did you get it ?—Yes. 138. Had any of your men waterproof sheets ? —About two-thirds of them. 139. Were they their own property ?—Yes. 140. What about the rations for the men ? Have you anything to say about them ?—ln the first place I found they were not sufficient. When I arrived in camp at half-past Bon Sunday night tea was supposed to be provided for the men, and when I sent down to the galley for the meal I found there was no meat. In fact, there was only about two gallons of tea for the whole of the men. 141. There was no meat, or bread and butter? —No. I went along to the officers' tent and from there took sufficient bread, butter, and cheese, to give the men something to eat. 142. After that how were the rations?—At times they were fairly plentiful, and at other times there was little or nothing. 143. How was the cooking?— Very bad at times. It was a sort of "happy-go-lucky." Sometimes the food was cooked and sometimes not. 144. Were the sausages, chops, and other small things cooked?— Not always. 145. Did you make complaints to any one ? —Yes. 146. To whom ?—Twice to Colonel Sommerville, and twice to the contractor —or the representative of the contractor. On one occasion I saw the contractor himself personally, and told him if the thing occurred again I would have no alternative but to take the men out of the camp and feed them at his expense. He said he was very sorry, but would send up sufficient. He went down to the telephone to get his wife to send up some preserves, which she did. 147. How was the bread that was served out to the men? —Taking it right through, it was medium. It was patchy, and depended upon the way it was served out. When you happened to be a little late you had to take what you could get. 148. How about the potatoes ?—Sometimes we could not get them at all. 149. How about the forage for the horses ?—That was similar. On two days—or rather one day and part of the second day—there were no oats at all. One day we had chaff, and latterly a little hay. . , 150. How was it served out ?—ln a " happy-go-lucky " way. A wagon would come in with the forage, and in some cases never reach the marquee put there to receive it. It was met by members of the different corps and taken as they practically liked. 151. To your knowledge was it ever put in the marquees set aside for it?—l believe so, at times. 152. Was any one in charge of the forage?— Yes. 153. Who ?—I understand Quartermaster Thurston, of Wairoa. There was a guard of a sergeant and three men over the forage. That was in the tent. . 154. Were ration indents issued to you for rations or forage ?—No. 155. Who was in charge of your battalion ? —Captain Watt. 156. What staff was appointed for your battalion ?—Lieutenant Morgan was appointed actingadjutant, and there was a sergeant-major and quartermaster-sergeant appointed to the camp, and they collected the details, and number of men in camp, and issued orders. 157. Were you aware of any brigade staff being appointed?—No, I was not aware of any. Lieutenant Thurston, I understood, was appointed quartermaster of the camp. When I could not get .any forage I inquired who was quartermaster, and was told that Lieutenant Thurston was appointed. 158. Were no brigade orders reported to you through your lines ?—Yes, on two occasions I got brigade orders through our battalion commander, Captain Watt. They related to an officer who was to accompany each lot of men when they were serving out rations, and to see that the men got them. 159. Did you comply with the order as far as your company was concerned?'—Yes. 160. Do you know whether the order was complied with as regards other companies in your battalion ? —I could not say. 161. Do you not know that a battalion and a company orderly-sergeant should be appointed? — Yes, that was in.the orders. There was to be an orderly-sergeant and an orderly-corporal appointed for each of the battalions. . 162. Were they appointed?—l believe so. 163. Were any orders, issued either by the Brigade Office or from your own battalion commander, communicated to the officers and to the men from the companies from time to time ? —I can only speak for my own corps. The sergeant-major went along to the battalion commander's tent, and.received the orders from the . adjutant, and. he came down and made us acquainted with. the. orders, regularly. ... .... ... '~,.;„ ..".,'.-./."