170

jW. V. SOLOMON.

H.—l9b.

212. That only lasted for, 1 think, two or three days.'—Close on a week. The first two or three days it was worse, and then began to improve. When you went for a morning wash there would be four or five men waiting, and it would be a case of who would go first. I have known men who went down to get a wash and found they would not have time to wait, and had to go and get the food without having a wash. 213. At all events, the water-supply was improved, and there was no complaint after that?— It was all right after that. 214. Mr. Ferguson.] How often were you compelled to shave? —The rule is to shave every morning. 215. And you had to shave' in cold water at the ablul ion-tubs? —Yes. Some shaved just outside the hut —anywhere where they could fix a looking-glass. 216. The Chairman.] Do you say you had to pay for your own pepper and salt? —Yes. 217. We were informed that the men got bread, I j lb. ; Hour, I oz. ; meat, 1A lb. ; cheese, 2 oz. ; coffee, | oz.; butter, salt, and sugar?—l think that included what the cook puts in. 218. He puts the sugar into the tea for you ?—Yes. 219. You did not get an)- of those things? —No, we got nothing of that. 220. You say you had to buy pepper and salt? —Yes, and soap. 221. Dr. Martin.] You also had to buy palliasses?— Yes; we paid 2s. each for them to the quartermaster-sergeant —Smith. 222. Did all the men pay for them? —Yes. 223. If a man had not 2s. he would not get a palliasse? —No; he would simply have to lie on the floor, or borrow 2s. from his mate. 224. You could get straw?— Yes. 225. It is not correct to say that mattresses were provided for the Trentham Regiment when they arrived on the 29th? —It is not correct; they were not, provided. We could get them by [laying for them. 226. There was no difficulty in getting straw? —No. 227. We were told that each man when he arrived received two uniforms—a khaki uniform and a set of denims?- That is not right. 228. The Chairman.] Have you ever heard of soldiers sleeping on wet mattresses?— The only time was when we had orders to put wet coats on the blankets, and they complained of that. As to the ground-sheets, when we go out we have to put the ground-sheets on the ground, and then the same sheets we have to use at night-time. 229. What, do you use them for at daytime? —To take out on the parade-ground to lie down on them. 230. They would get covered in mud? —Yes. Last Thursday it came on to rain about five minutes after getting on the parade-ground, and when 1 got off my waterproof sheet, there was a pool of water in it, and that same sheet I was supposed to put on the straw. But I ran the risk and put a blanket on it, 231. T thought you put the straw on top of the waterproof sheet?—No; they put the straw down, then the waterproof sheet, and then the blanket on top. In the tents where there are eight men, if you get kicking round straw you will have a mess. Every morning 3 r ou have to take the waterproof sheet up, and there is not much space. 232. Dr. Martin.] When did you get an issue of drawers, extra socks, and the uniform?— That is the second issue of clothing—about a fortnight after getting into camp. 233. You did not get the khaki uniform for about two or three weeks?— No. 234. Mr. Ferguson.] In a letter you wrote to Pollard you said that up to the present you had only been carrying boulders, and not been doing any drill? —1 think it was his brother who wrote that. 235. Were you employed carrying boulders?—-Yes, we were all employed carrying boulders. 236. What did you carry them in? —Some carried them in sacks, and some in pieces of corrugated iron. 237. Is it true that any of them used their blankets to carry them in?— No. T have seen bread carried in oil-sheets that the men have slept on the night before. 238. Carried from where? -From the stores to the hut, I have done that myself. 239. The Chairman.] Is not, that the fault of the man who chooses that way of carrying the bread?—No, that is the order from the sergeant. 240. To take your waterproof sheet? —Yes. You get up in the morning and the order would be, " So-many men go down to the Quartermaster's store and take so-many oil-sheets and bring back the bread." They were the sheets the men had been sleeping on at night, 241. You do not know what they do when they are in the fighting-line?—No, I have not reached that yet. 242. Mr. Salmond.] Ts that the general practice of carrying the bread from the store to the hut ? —That was when I was there. 243. Tn all the huts?— That, was in the Ist Battalion. 244. Mr. Ferguson.] The 2nd Battalion was in huts too? —Yes, all in huts. There is one thing T should like to mention : When T came back from my friend's funeral at Christchurch T went to Trentham on the 12th July. On the 9th July the guards would not let me in that night, and told me I had to go back to Wellington. I went back, and T had a paper from the barracks to sleep in town on the Friday night. On the Saturday they gave me a pass to stay in town again for the day. -On the Sunday morning we were marched down to the railway-station by the military police and then put right into the hospital. It was still quarantined at that time. There were people there who could not get out, and people who wanted to see their friends who could not, and we were put in the midst of all that, sickness. *•— h - - ■ i.