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H.—l9a

Lance-Corporal John Scully examined. (No. 22.) 285. The Chairman.] You are lance-corporal of the Westport Rifles ?—Yes. 286 Were you with your corps at the camp in Newtown Park in June last?—No ■ I was in charge of the officers' orderlies at the Thorndon School—the Nelson District orderly officers 287. Were you billeted there yourself ?—Yes. 288 What were the rations like that were served out there?—As far as I could see, the officers were not getting fair-play at all. They were there to the number of about forty or over and a though they got good wholesome food in the way of meat and vegetables, still they were not allowed the ordinary luxuries that officers-usually get in camp. 289. Was what they got properly cooked?— Yes. 290. What did they get ?—At breakfast they got fried steak and chops, bread, butter, and tea and coffee; and at lunch-time cold meat and vegetables, two tins of jam, and two bottles of pickles to go round the whole forty. r 291 Did they have a late dinner ?—They were supposed to have dinner at 6 o'clock. They got roast beef, corned beef, and vegetables. For the first two days they got no pudding ooo' w\ d th 7 aft l erwards ?—They got apples and rice the last two days we were there, cerned y ° U WaS properly cooked ?— Yes > as far as the officers were con--294. Do you know anything about the rations at any of the other billets ?—Yes • the Stoke Bifles were up m the same quarters as the officers at Thorndon, and from what I could see they were getting fair rations until one day. Some one delivered a piece of beef that was cut off from the shoulder to the sirloin, stripped of the bones, and rolled up like bacon, and this meat was bruised from one end to about half-way up, and I should say was on the verge of decomposing A few hours in the sun would have made it very " high," and it could not be baked 295 Could Sergeant-Major Coleman see that ?—No ;he was away at the time. The cook said he could not do anything with it, and I think he gave it away to the dogs. 296. It was not used by the men ?—lt was sent by the contractor to be used. 297. Do you know how the meat was kept there'before it was used?—lt was brought up and put m a store at the back of the galley. . ° 298. Was the meat that was not tainted of good quality ? Yes, fair. 299. Do you know of any complaints being made by the Stoke Rifles or at the officers' mess ? —No, Ido not tnink so. The officers complained. 300. Did they make their complaint to anybody?—No ; but they told me 301. Did you see anything of the procession in the streets ?—I saw it coming past the Royal Oak Hotel, and turning into Manners Street. There were only about half a dozen in it then 302 Did they have the pole with the board and provisions with them ?—Yes ; they had a thin stick and a board nailed across it like a cross. On this board was a whisky-flask, and a crust of bread at the other side of the pole, and a piece of meat cut about so that you could see the inside and outside This was hanging down. The outside of it was what you might called burned and the other side raw. ' 303 Do you know any of the men who took part in it ?-No; I did not take particular notice ol any of them. In fact, I got out of the road as quickly as I could. 304. Did you follow the procession ?—No; I simply went up to it to read everything on the board, and then passed on my way. 305. Who ordered you to come here ?—Captain Card, of the Westport Rifles i i° 6 ., Why ?_T ° rep ° rt how the officers S ot their meals > and t0 B ive evidence of what I saw ot other things. 307. Can you tell me whether the half-dozen men you saw in the procession were mounted men.or infantry?— Mounted men. 308. You say you do not know any of them ?—No. 309. You did not know them at the time, but have you heard the names of any of them since? —1 cannot say that I have. 1 heard the procession came from Newtown Park. 310. Colonel Davies.] You do not know that it came from there ?—No I only heard so The bearer of the pole was a civilian, a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years of age 311. What uniform did the men have?— The khaki uniform, with slouch hats 312. What facings ?-I am not sure about the facings. I did not take much notice of the men when 1 saw them, and after I saw them I passed by. 313. What breeches had they ?—They had tight mounted men's leggings on. 314. Had they spurs on ?—I could not say. 315 You do not know whether they all had riding-whips ?-No ; but I would be almost certain they were mounted men. 316. Why?—By their general appearance. 317. You mean to say that a mounted man looks different from the infantry in uniform ?—Yes a lot different. From their general appearance I should certainly say they were mounted men. ' Staff Sergeant-Major Healy recalled. (No. 23.) 318. Colonel Davies.] In reference to Sergeant Rankin, you said that while you were in the passage, after taking the meat away from the men, he incited the men to go and take the meat out again ?—Yes, there is no doubt at all about that. t> .x 3 ! 19 " Ft™ Chairman.] Did you hear any complaints at all as to the officers' mess of the Nelson Battalion ?—There was not the slightest complaint. If anything had been wrong Dr Pearless and the quartermaster would have been the first to complain.