H.—l9b.

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H. B. POTTEE.

231. Mr. Ferguson.] You are not troubled with breaches of the regulations in that respect? —That is so. 232. They would be severely punished?— Yes, if they were caught. Whenever fresh reinforcements come into camp, the whole lot are lined up and receive a lecture by me personally on the discipline and sanitation of the camp. They are warned especially on this subject. That is a general lecture I give to each reinforcement when it first enters camp, and I lay special stress on sanitation. 233. The Chairman.] Then, at night: are there pans provided, or what?—At night there are urinal pans' provided. 234. For each tent or hut? —For every hut there are so-many pans and so-many for each company. These are put there at sunset and removed at reveille in the morning. 235. Could you give any idea as to the number of pans —how many pans to a tent or to a company? Would a man have to go far for one?— They are put in lines outside in the lines. They have white stones put round and the pans are put there. After these pans are taken away the ground is disinfected. 236. Mr. Ferguson.] And do the men go from the tents to these special lines, or have there been breaches brought before you ?—I only had one case brought before me : that was a man who was caught on a dark night. He was punished. 237. What steps are taken to see that the men use the appliances provided : it is the sort of thing for which one man will hardly tell on another ?—We have military police in camp always going about. 238. Is there any idea in your mind that that, regulation has been in any way avoided by the men, or are you reasonably satisfied that it is properly carried out?— Yes, I am reasonably satisfied that it is. 239. You do not suspect any insanitation is brought about by the men misbehaving in this respect?— There have been odd instances. 240. Nothing serious?— Nothing serious. It has not been brought under my notice. Every nook and corner of the camp is inspected every day by what we call the sanitation officer, accompanied by the captain of the day, the subaltern of the day, and the Camp QuartermasterSergeant. 241. He is a Sanitary Medical Officer? —He is the medico appointed for the day. Their duty is to immediately report anything which is wrong in the matter of sanitation in the camp. That report would come to me in writing from the sanitary officers through the P.M.O. But anything of a minor nature would be dealt with immediately, because the captain and the subaltern are there for the purpose. 242. At the time they go round the men are all away at, drill, and the camp is empty?— Yes; and their duty is to inspect every nook and corner. 243. Do they spend the whole day doing that?— The whole morning. 244. The inspection of a camp of seven thousand men would take them all their time to get through in a morning?—lt might take longer. Ido not know exactly how long it does take. Their duty is to go everywhere, and they do it, because it is in the orderly-officer's report: he has to make a report every day. 245. Mr. Salmond.] What arrangements are made to secure the personal cleanliness of the troops?— They have ablution benches for their ordinary washing, and we also have about twelve shower-baths. In- addition they have two bathing parades a week, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. Every man has a bath, barring in the winter months, when it is not necessary for him to go in, but it is compulsory that he must wash his feet. 246. The Chairman.] Harking back to the Medical Officer's daily visits, is a report made daily by the Medical Officer? —Yes, he should —to the P.M.O. 247. Can we get those reports from the P.M.O. ?—The P.M.O. should have daily reports from his sanitation officers, and any reports the P.M.O. had to make to draw attention to anything serious regarding the sanitation of the camp would be sent on to me. 248. You have got a file of any references from him?— There would be references in the office. 249. Can you produce that file? —Yes, I will do so later on. 250. And will the present P.M.O. have all the reports made to his predecessors?— The Director of Medical Services would have all those reports, as he is up there all the time. 251. You will have the references?— Yes, from the P.M.O. 252. Mr. Salmond.] You said, I think, that every man in the camp had an opportunity to bathe in the river twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays?— Yes. 253. And that there were also ablution benches? —Yes, ordinary washing-benches. 254. Is- there any hot water supplied?—No hot-water baths, but hot-water showers are being arranged for; but the men can get hot water. 255. The Chairman.] But not for bathing?—No, but for washing, if they need it. 256. Where do they get the hot water? —We have tanks outside every cookhouse. 257. They can take it away in a can? —Yes. 258. Have they cans for the purpose?— They have their ordinary washing-basins. 259. Each man has a basin of his own? —Yes; he could take it to the hot-water tank and get hot water if he wanted it. 260. Mr. Ferguson.] Without asking the cook?—lt has nothing to do with the cook. It is entirely outside the cookhouse. 261. Mr. Salmond.] If every man of the seven thousand wanted hot water could he get it? —No, certainly not. 262. How are you going to distribute it? —The hot water is there for washing-up basins, but there is nothing to stop a man from getting some.