79

H.—l9b.

J. M. PUBDY.

76. If it does not ask for the approval by the association, what was the point in putting it there? —I am not quite clear as to whether that " Yes " was not put in after the final paragraph, and the other one (the third) missed out altogether. The third paragraph has no answer to it. 77. You laid out the Trentham Camp in accordance with the model camp at Tauherenikau? — 1 inspected it and pointed out certain things I wished altered, and that was done. The camp was laid down on the very latest and most up-to-date methods. 78. At that time all the men were housed in tents? —Yes. 79. And there were a number of horses in the camp? —The horse-lines were on the other side of the road —the left-hand side. 80. On the racecourse side? —Yes, sir; a considerable distance away from the camp. 81. What number of men did you lay out the camp to accommodate? —About two thousand. 82. Now, in regard to the placing of the tents, and so on, was that done in accordance with the regulations as to putting the tents proper distances apart: did you see to that?— Yes, sir; everything was done according to the latest manual issued by the Imperial authorities; but the Imperial authorities lay down nothing as to the number of tents to the acre. Our authority is the Manual of Elementary Military Hygiene, 1912, reprinted in 1914. Very curiously there is nothing laid down in that book about the number of tents to the acre. What is laid down is the minimum space for an infantry battalion —five hundred men to the acre —in a standing camp. We have never had five hundred men to the acre. It says, " While the minimum space allowed for an infantry battalion in camp is at the rate of five hundred men per acre, or more than in the most crowded parts of London." You see, in England they put fifteen to eighteen men in a tent, whereas we never have more than eight men in a tent, which makes a great deal of difference. 83. You say the English rule is fifteen to eighteen men to the tent?— Yes. 84. You never put more than eight in a tent? —That is so. 85. the same size of tent?— The same tent, exactly. 86. But do those regulations apply to a camp which is going to last two or three months? — Yes, a standing camp. 87. Mr. Ferguson.] Do you know the number of men to the acre in that first encampment at Trentham? —We had more than 4 acres. 88. Do you know how much? —I do not know exactly. 89. Do you know what distance apart the tents were? —I could not say exactly, but there was at least 4 ft. between the most cramped of them. 90. The Chairman.] What does the regulation say about that? —There are no definite regulations laid down upon that point. 91. But surely you must have some sort of regulation on that point: there must be a certain space for the ropes holding the tent down? —I could not say exactly what distance there is, but there is ample room for the ropes and pegs to each tent. 92. That would be more than 4 ft. ? —Probably it would be. It was only in one line that the tents were rather crowded : that was a very small part which was crowded owing to the conformation of the ground. 93. Were there not complaints made about the tents being too close in the first camp? —No. 94. Had you any later on?— Yes. 95. As regards sanitation for the tents, what did you provide in the camp?— You mean the latrines ? 96. Yes, and other things? —We did everything that is laid down in the manual. We provided the modern shallow latrine at the proper distances. 97. Are those the latrines we see there now?—No; these are permanent ones that were put up when the Third Reinforcements came. We had also day urinals provided. 98. They were all done according to the book?— Yes. 99. For drainage what did you do? —We had soak-pits. 100. Where were these soak-pits in connection with the camping-ground?— There were none of them in the tent-space. Then we had incinerators built. I said there was not enough provided, and we had some more built. lam a great believer in burning all garbage. 101. Do the regulations prescribe the number of incinerators?—No; that is merely a matter of judgment. 102. Can you say whether these soak-pits were filled in afterwards? —There would be a drain from the cookhouse to one of these soak-pits : it would be open but covered with brushwood laid on the top. 103. What depth did you sink your soak-pits?— From 10 ft. to 14 ft. 104. Were any soak-pits filled in afterwards? —I think they are still in use: they answered very satisfactorily. 105. Did the tent-space area extend over any parts previously occupied by soak-pits?— No, sir. 106. You might say in this connection whether the hutment area extended over any spot previously occupied by soak-pits?—No, with the exception of the first line of hutments the whole of them are on virgin ground. I was told that the first line of hutments were on ground where tents had been a considerable time before. 107. You laid down Trentham Camp in October for two thousand men : how long was that camp occupied by those two thousand men?—Up till early in December. 108. Ihen they left and took their Medical Officers with them? —Yes. 109. So far as you were concerned it became a blank, leaving only yourself as regards Medical Officers? —Yes; but other Medical Officers were brought in. 110. All those previously in the camp had gone? —Yes. 111. During this period what sickness had you? —Practically none.