H.—l9b.

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|R. W. HOLMES

43. When that work is done do you consider the camp will be in an absolutely satisfactory condition ?—Yes. 44. What system of roading is being adopted?— Ordinary, town-street roading. It will be graded to drain to proper channels, the water to be taken from those channels by means of a system of storm-water drains, and led away to a point of discharge in the Silverstreain. 45. Mr. Ferguson.] There is a water-supply put in by the military authorities with the assistance of your Department—have you looked into it in any way?—No, not yet. 46. You have seen the soil?— Yes. 47. Have you formed any theory yourself as to the reason of the outburst of illness there, having relation to the soil and district?—No, I have not, 48. Could you give us any expression of opinion as an engineer as to whether that is a suitable site for a camp, or has it any disabilities?—l think it is a very suitable site for a camp. It has a gravelly subsoil, and that, is always looked upon as the best for a camp. 49. Mr. Skerrett.] In answer to Dr. Martin you said you had not considered the question whether the complement of a hundred men to each hutment was excessive or not?—No, I have not: that is a matter that rests, 1 think, more directly with the officers of the Health Department, It hardly comes within my province. 50. You will observe that those buildings are more in the nature of barracks, are they not? —Yes; they would be very much like barrack-rooms, except that perhaps they would iiot be quite so comfortable. 51. You have not considered, 1 suppose, what is the regular allowance of floor-space and airspace in the case of the barracks provided for the Imperial Army?—l have done so years ago, but not in connection with this place. 52. In considering the erection of huts now contemplated, have you considered the possibility of having buildings similar in character to but smaller than the existing hutments?—No; the Health Department is dealing with that, 53. You did not consider the danger of as many as a hundred men living in one hut or barracks?— They are only putting in thirty now. 54. Of course, the larger the hut and the greater the number of men the more difficultythere is in isolating them in case of any sickness?— Certainly.

James o'Sullivan sworn and examined. (No. 7.) 1. The, Chairman .] What are you?—l am Assistant Quartermaster-General, Headquarters Staff. 2.' Will you tell us when you received instructions that certain boots were required for the two thousand odd men that were coming in in June or May? —I could not fell you the exact date. 3. Well, we have had it from the Camp Commandant that it was notified on the 19th April? —It is quite possible that is correct if he said so. 4. How do you get your requisitions?— Signed by Captain McCristell. at the camp. 5. He told us that from the Department he gets one copy of the proposals and you get another at the same time? —It is the notification stating when the contingents are coming into camp. 6. The evidence he gave us as to that was that the notification was sent on the 19th April and the men came on the 29th May?— Yes. 7. A period of about six weeks? —Yes. 8. And then when they did come in the boots were not there?— Not when they came in, sir, I think. 9. Yes, that they could not get the boots —the second pair?— Yes, they got the one pair. 10. What steps did you take when you got the notice on the 19th April of the men coming into camp?— With your permission may Igo back a little way to give an explanation? The first order for reinforcements was one thousand two hundred Infantry and four hundred mounted men—about one thousand seven hundred men. IT. Have you any notes with you?—No, I have not; there is another inquiry going on, and the notes are there. 12. Is that inquiry dealing w 7 ith boots? —Yes, boots and other things. 13. Tell us what the history was? —The Chief of the General Staff gave us the notification. We made contracts then for boots sufficient, to meet more than half of the requirements—that is, 2,250 pairs of boots per month. 14. When did you make that contract?—l could not tell you from memory —somewhere about, January; it is an annual contract. 15. Who were the contractors? —Robert, Hannah and Co., Wellington, and O'Brien and Co., Christchurch. 16. Well, what happened?—On top of that one thousand seven hundred men they put in two companies of Artillery, the Trentham Regiment, two lots of Maoris of five hundred each—l could not tell you the exact number. 17. But you supplied the boots —there was no complaint up to May?— That two thousand came too many on us. 18. There was no complaint up to May, and on the 19th April you got, an announcement that the new Trenthams, some two thousand men, were coming in.—Yes. 19. Did you take any special step when you heard that? —Yes; I tried to get as many pairs of boots made to our pattern as I could in this country by outside people and contractors.