EL—6c.

REPORT.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable the Earl of Ranfurly, G.C.M.G., &c, Governor of the Colony of New Zealand. May it please Your Excellency,— We, the Commissioners apppointed by the commission of the Bth day of August, 1902, under the hand of Your Excellency and the Seal of the Colony, for the purpose of inquiring into and reporting upon the food and the accommodation provided for members of the New Zealand contingents on board the steamers "Britannic" and "Orient" when returning from South Africa, and any matters connected with the transport of the said contingents in the said steamers which might come under their notice in the course of their investigations, have now the honour to report to Your Excellency. Directly your Commissioners received Your Excellency's commission they advertised in each of the two principal newspapers circulating in the four large centres of population in the colony that they were , prepared to hear any evidence any witnesses were willing to give in the matters referred to them by Your Excellency, and requested them to forward their names to the Commissioners, and informed those who did so that their expenses would be paid. The result was that twenty-eight non-commissioned officers and thirty-three troopers gave evidence. A few witnesses residing in Auckland and Christchurch were not summoned, owing to the similarity of the evidence given by others from the same districts, and there being no suggestion of any fresh complaint being adduced. In addition, thirteen officers, four officials connected with the Health Department, and one civilian were examined. Major-General Babington, Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, was present every day on which your Commissioners took evidence, under instructions from the Imperial authorities, to advise, if required, bat not to offer opinions. Captain Rich, R.N., H.M.S. " Ringarooma," was also present under similar circumstances on behalf of the Admiralty. General. The agreement under which the men on board the troopship " Britannic " were enlisted for service in South Africa is set out in detail in a document attached to this report (see Exhibit F), of which paragraph 3 provides that " the volunteer shall be subject in all respects to the terms and provisions of the Act of the Imperial Parliament known as ' The Army Act, 1881,' or any Act continuing or amending the same, and the Articles of War for the time being in force, made under the authority thereof respectively." The attestation fofm contains the oath of the volunteer, "1 will faithfully serve in the Imperial Auxiliary Force until I shall be lawfully discharged." Your Commissioners narrate these conditions of enlistment to emphasize the terms under which the New Zealand contingents served, and to show that they were in all respects those of the regular military forces of the Empire, and that the Transport .Regulations are identical for all Imperial troops," though, apparently, by special concession the Yeomanry and colonial contingents were granted an improved dietary scale. Under Transport Eegulations the " men are to be berthed in hammocks hung 18 in; apart for seamen and marines, 16 in. apart for troops, and 20 in. for petty officers and sergeants, each berth to be 9 ft. in length, locking in 18 in. at each end " ; and. " Every man must have a seat at a mess-table. Therefore the maximum number of men a deck will accommodate is governed by the number of mess-tables that can be fitted; when, however, seamen are carried, each man must have a hammock-berth. As a rough rule, the number of men a given space will take is 2J men to each foot of length when the beam allows 6 ft. tables to be used; 3 men to each foot of length when the beam allows 7 ft. tables to be used; 3| men to each foot of length when the beam allows 9 ft. tables to be used." "A 9 ft. table takes 12 men each." " Latrines and urinals for men (Two seats to be provided for each 200 men fitted for.)" " Wash-place for men (Five troughs to be provided for each 200 men fitted for)." In regard to hospitals, " A sufficient space will be appropriated in the most suitable part of the vessel for the hospital and screened off with canvas screens. Suitable battens to be fitted for this purpose, with white-line stops properly whipped fitted so as to secure the screen when rolled up. Standing bedplaces, three to every hundred men fitted for, to be built up in one or two tiers as directed, &c."

VI