19

H.—l9.

Corps Territorial companies in each district were also attached to and camped near the supplydepot for general supply services and training. To cover the whole period, including casual camps, the Army Service Corps companies were detailed in reliefs, lliey worked well and intelligently, under the Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport, and give promise of developing into excellent units in the future. 65. Canteens. The dry canteens were satisfactory and of great convenience and benefit to the troops, especially during the wet days. The proceeds from these canteens were, as heretofore, devoted by Officers Commanding to the provision of extra comforts, recreation, &c, required during the camps. No complaints of the prices charged have reached me this year. 66. Rations and Forage. On the experience of last year, the scale of rations and forage was amended as follows. In the case of a few units a seeming shortage occurred, which was easily remedied when reported. This was due not to the insufficiency of the ration, or to the issue of it, but to want of experience of how to handle it when taken over by the unit. The units concerned soon learned that interior administration is just as important as drill and tactical exercises. The daily scale of rations and forage proved ample tor all requirements, the few complaints as to shortage mentioned above being due to unequal distribution in some companies, owing to lack of supervision by company officers. Rations — Bread .. .. .. .. 1£ lb. Meat .. .. .. .. l| lb. Bu'.ter . . .. .. .. 4 oz. Cheese .. .. .. 1 oz. Tea .. .. f oz. Coffee .. .. .. £ oz. Sugar .. .. .. 4 oz. Potatoes .. .. .. . 1 lb. Onions .. .. .. 4 oz. Jam .. .. .. 4 oz. Oatmeal .. .. .. 2 oz. Milk (fresh) .. .. ■ ■ i P mt > or h °- condensed. Salt .. .. .. \ oz. Pepper .. .. .. .. fa oz. Flour .. .. .. \ lb. twice a week. Fuel, straw, <&c. — Coal .. .. .. .. 2 cwt. per field cooking-oven. Wood .. .. .. 2 lb. per man for heating water. Wood .. .. .. 6 lb. per man when no field cooking-oven in use. Candles .. .. 1 per tent. Straw .. .. .. 15 lb. per man. Forag: — Oats .. .. .. 6 lb. per horse. Chaff .. .. .. .. 12 lb. per horse. Hay .. .. .. 6 lb. per ho se. Bran .. .. .. .. At diserct on of Vetsrinary officer. In addition to the above, in order to permit officers commanding units to obtain extra rations, such as raisins, currants, fresh vegetables, &c, an allowance of 2d. per diem per head was granted. In some cases where regimental arrangements were particularly good the full scale was found in excess of requirements, and surplus quantities were either left undrawn or returned to the supply depot. The following return gives particulars of the average cost of rations, &c, per head per diem at the various camps :—

Permission was given for the issue of an increased ration of forage in the case of gun, draught, and other horses deemed by the Veterinary Officers to require it. The forage ration— 6 lb. oats, 12 lb. oaten-sheaf chaff, and 6 lb. hay, or 24 lb. in all—shows an increase over that at the previous year's camp—viz., 101b. oats and 121b. oaten-sheaf chaff, or 221b. in all —and with

District. Camp. Average Cost of Rations per Head per Diem. Average Cost of Fuel, Candles, and Straw, per Head per Diem. Average Cost of Forage per Horse per Diem. Luckland Vellington Janterbury Hautapu Takapau Kowai Matarae Is. 4-618d. Is. 4-134d. 13. 3-964d. la. 4525d. Id. 1415d. l-142d. 1184d. 10-097d. ll-232d. 9-411d. 10'786d. )tago