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[H. A. DE LAUTOUB.

60. Mr. Skerrett.] Is there anything else you desire to refer to?—I was_ going to call attention to the incinerators there as scarcely being adapted for the use for which they are there — the destruction of all material. 61. The Chairman.] Do they not accord with military requirements? —They are roughly on the principle described in the books, but they do not fulfil the actual purpose. 62. Why?— Because they are too shallow in proportion to their width. You do not get sufficient draught. There have been two or three kinds there, but, the only ones I have seen are those wide-open ones with a heap of stones in the centre. 63. Like a Maori oven? —Not quite like that, but on the principle of this diagram [produced]. When the stones get, heated they form a draught. The style with the sod is the best. If you cannot get sods it can be made of tins filled with clay. Tlie diagram produced shows all the military incinerators adapted for the different soils. 64. Is there any other topic you wish to refer to?— The clothes-drying tents. 65. Dr. Martin.] I understand there was no drying-apparatus in Trentham Camp up to about three weeks ago?— Quite so. 66. Do you think that is right?—lt is very wrong. There should have been a clothes-drying tent for every battalion. 67. Do you think when the camp was opened a drying-apparatus should have been arranged ? —Marquees should have been provided. 68. With the skeleton apparatus such as you have on the diagram?—Yes. [Diagram of marquees recommended in 1907 manoeuvres produced.] A Maori oven acts really better than a brazier, and keeps the heat in. In the report of the 1907 manoeuvres I. think it says that the wet clothes of a company could be dried in two or three hours. 69. Do you consider the complaint made that the men could not get their clothes dried was perfectly justifiable? —Perfeotly justified. It is right that they should get their clothes dried, and should have facilities. In these manoeuvres there are suggestions made which I have always adopted in giving lectures and training to the men in Otago and Southland. There is an illustration of a regiment, supposed to be a crack regiment, sent out on fatigue duty repairing roads or something else, being out all day. The Medical Officer said the Colonel ordered them to put their overcoats away on the wagon and to start with very light clothing. They were wet through in a very few minutes, and remained wet through for hours. They came back and got a hot cup of soup and put on dry clothes, and the wet clothes were dried in a couple of hours, and they were ready to go on duty again. 70. And with no ill effects?—No, no ill effects. Then, again, no provision has been made for baths. [Diagram showing baths in circular and other tents.] You can have boilers outside to get hot water if necessary. 7T. Mr. Ferguson.] Are these the diagrams you have used for the purpose, of giving lectures? —Yes. 72. They are not theory merely?—No; they are elaborated from the reports I have. 73. They are condensed in the Royal Army Corps manual?— Yes. 74. Have y r ou any opinion as to tho proportion of baths? —I do not, know- the proportion, but two or three marquees would go a long way. It is necessary they should, because they have bathing-records, and each man has to show he had bathed so-many times. 75. They had shower-baths from the beginning, and in addition they had bi-weekly parades to the river : would that take the place?— That would assist very much. 76. Would it take the place?— Not altogether take the place. I do not know whether the shower-baths are enough in proportion to the men inthe place. 77. Dr. Martin.] You were not satisfied with the arrangements at the Trentham Hospital, with tho exception of the sink, in November up to the present, time?—l have no personal knowledge of them. I rather avoided going into the hospital, as there was so much to see outside. 78. AVell, for a camp ranging from three thousand to four thousand men, what, would you have suggested?—l should suggest something in the nature of a field hospital, just, as at, the front; but, relying on the assurance that the Wellington Hospital and other hospitals could do everything that was necessary, there has never been any provision made for field hospitals. That, is something quite new here, and nothing of that nature has ever been provided. 79. On the 19th February the. Medical Officer at, the camp reported that he had no equipment for the beds, no sheets, and no pillow-cases. Would you have suggested he should have a field hospital at that time? —Certainly, I should—several marquees. I mean to say that I feel so convinced on the point that had there been proper arrangements from the start there would have been no trouble at all. With strong, healthy, specially picked young men in a healthy situation there should have been practically no sickness whatever, and that is my experience of all my camps after thirty-five years' experience. I have never had any preventable sickness at any of the camps, and never had a single death. Another matter I should like to refer to is the soakage-pits. I should like to get some expert engineering or geological opinion as to what becomes of the polluted water from the soakage-pits. I notice there is a soakage-pit about the centre of the tent camp which has been in use throughout. Tt takes all the foul water from the ablution-benches, and is covered over with brushwood. It seems at times almost, to overflow, but still it escapes. Now, close beside that soakage-pit, which is practically nearly always full, there is another empty pit. It is exactly 20 ft. by measurement from this full pit. This 'pit is perfectly dry, and it is about Bft. or 12 ft. deep. There is some gravelly soil underneath there, but there is not the lateral percolation one would expect. T was wondering where that ablution waterwent to; and it must go, it, seems to me, vertically down till it meets the well-water level. Now, if that is so T should think- it is quite likely that the water from those soakage-pits would contaminate the wells in the neighbourhood, and if that is so it, is a serious question. Those wells'