M. BADGER.]

105

H.—l9b.

have been looked after by the platoon-corporal. Regarding the question of telegrams, I would like to point out that the wires at Trentham were very much congested. I myself sent a telegram one day, and it arrived in Wellington the next day 7. The reason was that when the funk (as 1. call it) set in throughout New Zealand the telegrams simply poured in. Men in camp walking about hale and hearty were receiving wires from all sorts of relatives, and I understand that occasionally telegrams from the camp had to be bundled up and sent in to Wellington so as to be despatched. It would have been perfectly possible for an orderly to have received money for a telegram and for him to put that money in his pocket or forget about it. Ho might also have given that money to the. telegraph messenger, because the messengers arriving al the kiosk with telegrams were also given telegrams to go back, and it would have been perfectly possible for either the orderly to take the money or the telegraph messenger to take the money, and it would be impossible to trace how the telegram went astray. That is all the evidence I can give at present bearing upon the Badger case, but, I would like to be recalled later to give general evidence on the whole subject. The Chairman: From what you have told us you appear to have a very clear and intelligent grip of the matters, and we will be glad to hear you later. 4. Mr. Salmond.] When did Badger become unconscious? —I think it was late Wednesday afternoon. Of course, I cannot have a clear, definite idea of what you may call "unconsciousness." 5. Well, capable of recognizing a relative? —I consider that he would have been able to recognize a relative until late Wednesday afternoon. 6. Do you know anything about a telegram being sent to his relatives on the Thursday?— 1 remember a telegram that Sister Brandon had. She said to me, " Here is a telegram from Badger's relatives," and I held up my book for her to write the reply on the telegram-form— it was a reply-paid telegram. I did not observe the reply. It was handed to the telegraph messenger. As far as I recollect that would be Thursday morning, but 1 cannot swear what day it was. I do not know of any telegram being sent to Christchurch :it was not in my official duties. 7. All that y 7 ou know is that a reply telegram was sent. Was there any system of notifying relatives of the dangerous illness of patients? —Yes, the understanding was that relatives were to be notified. 8. By whom? —By the headquarters office. 9. Til Wellington?—No, at Trentham, 10. That is, the Camp Commandant's quarters, not the hospital quarters? —The hospital quarters. There is a clerk, in the office who belongs to the Field Ambulance in what is called the record-office, and I understand it was his duty 7to reply to all inquiries made, and to receive from the nurse in charge any notification of any serious illness, and his duty was to communicate at once with the relatives. 11. Then it was Sister Brandon's duty to notify this clerk if Badger was in such a condition that his relatives ought to have been told? —Yes; but in Badger's case there was, to my mind, a sudden collapse. The man had been getting on all right, and he suddenly collapsed. 12. You saw him first on Tuesday morning : had y r ou any 7 reason to suppose he was seriously ill on Tuesday?—l would not think so. I would not pay much heed. 13. How often did you sec him on Tuesday? You said the doctors visited him between Tuesday and Thursday?— Dr. Ferguson at that time was going round the wards twice a day, and Dr. Harrison also went, round, and we had visiting doctors of all kinds. Dr. Moriee would wander through the wards. 14. But, you say Dr. Ferguson saw Badger three times: was that only casually?—He would go to his bedside each time. .15. But, did he do the same with all the cases? —No, serious cases. A T ou must remember that the majority of those cases —T would say 85 per cent. —were simply men who had a slight temperature—99 or TOO : they would be a couple of days in bed, and then able to get about again. The doctor would take the case of each man to ascertain whether he was convalescent in the morning; then in the afternoon there would be a second visit to the serious cases. 16. Then Badger's was being treated as a serious case? —Yes. 17. AVas his temperature taken?— Regularly. 18. What, was it on the Tuesday 7 cannot say. 19. The Chairman.] There will be the hospital record?—l think there will be. 20. Mr. Salmond,.] Did the nurses take the temperatures?— That is a, point 1 would like to refer to. On the Tuesday, when I got there, there were about six nurses who took on day duty that day, Tuesday; they were trained nurses, not nursing sisters, who took- command of the ward on that day. Then' were some there on the Monday, but on the Tuesday there were six, to my knowledge; and Badger's case was being looked after. 21. The Chairman.] That disagrees with what Mr. Ronald Badger told vs —thai on the 27th June three nurses arrived, and more on the 6th July? —Badger's case on the Tuesday was in charge of a nurse 1 . My reason for remembering that is thai I spoke to the nurse of his case, and stated the similarity of his name to my own. 22. Mr, Salmond.] AVere you looking after Badger as well as the nurse?— Yes, in this way —that T looked after all the patients on the Tuesday. I had not been allocated a special duty. Afterwards T was appointed an acting non-commissioned officer and given definite duty. 23. On Ihe Tuesday I understand that Badger's was regarded as a serious case?— All cases where there is a relapse are treated as serious cases. The relapse would have taken place late on Monday night. 24. On the AVednesday he had this attack you have referred to? —Yes, the vomiting.

14— H. 19b.