H.—l9b.

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[j. T. BISMAN.

33. You thought you were not getting enough? —Yes. 34. You did not complain again?— No. 35. Did you make any complaint, ot did you hear of anybody in your hut complaining of the overcrowding?—it was a general complaint. The O.C. himself knew it was overcrowded. 36. Who was the O.C. ?—Lieutenant Cowles. 37. You do not know whether the complaint got past him?—l think it would. 38. Where is Lieutenant Cowles? —Up at Rangiotu. They were not ready for us. 39. There was a shortage of accommodation : were you amongst the " Trents "1 —Yes. 40. Ist or 2nd Battalion? —Ist. 41. And there was no other accommodation?— No. 42. There were a lot of handy men in camp?—ln what way? 43. Men of all trades. Do you know why 7 some of the men could not have made a breadcarrier?—lf they had known about it, and there was wood to do it. 44. They could have done it?— Yes. 45. I think you said that you yourself never saw how the bread was carried?—No, 1 never saw it carried. 46. Mr. Skerrett.] Do you know what was the general feeling in the minds of the men as to attention given to them on the sick-parade? —The general notion, as far as I know, was that it was satisfactory except for one thing. When I was battalion orderly-corporal, a fortnight before leaving Trentham, it was my duty to be down there. One morning it was raining, and had been raining for a couple of days before, and very 7 foggy. The sick-parade was at 8.15 a.m. The men had to be paraded at 8 o'clock, and it was 10 o'clock before they were through. They 7 were standing there all the time, eighty of them, for one doctor to go through. 47. The Chairman.] And were these men standing in the open ?—They wore in the open, yes. 48. Was there no place where they could have had shelter?—No, sir. 49. No marquee alongside?— No. 50. You were in charge of them? —No; each corporal had his own men. 51. Who was the medical man attending that morning?— Dr. Bogle. 52. Mr. Ferguson.] Who was the sergeant-major there?— There was no sergeant-major there. 53. AVho would be the officer receiving them?— They would come in their order; the orderlycorporal would receive them in the tent. Colonel Purdy: I would like to remark about the statement just made regarding eighty men being examined by one doctor. This corporal belongs to the Ist Battalion of the Trentham Regiment. According to regulations each battalion had a Medical Officer, a regimental officer. There were two Medical Officers, one attached to No. 1 Battalion, and one attached to No. 2 Battalion. When the Trenthams lirst came into camp I asked Colonel Fulton if he would prefer to have his Medical Officers trained with his regiment, and he said he would, and the two Medical Officers were appointed to his regiment. The personnel, and everything was arranged so that the whole of the interior economy 7 of those regiments was complete. They could have got as much help as they required. Dr. Martin: This was an ordinary regimental sick-parade? Colonel Purdy: Yes, sir. Edwin Aktiiuk Bartlett sworn and examined. (No. 55.) 1. Mr. Skerrett..] AA 7 herc do you reside?—Palmerston North. 2. AVhen did you join the Third Reinforcements? —On the 14th December, 1914. •'i. Ou the 24th January, 1915, you were taken ill? —Yes. 4. What was your complaint?— Appendicitis. 5. Where you then at Trentham? —Yes. 6. And what happened to you? —I was taken into tlie hospital. 7. Where? —To AVellington Hospital; and on the 26th January 1 was operated upon. I was discharged from the hospital on the Bth February. 8. Practically thirteen or fourteen days after the operation?— Yes. 9. Where did you go then?— Through to my friends at Cambridge. 10. Were you given leave of absence.' —Yes, I'm- three weeks. AVhen two weeks were up I was not feeling too well, and I saw Dr. Thompson at Hawera, and he got another week's leave for me, which gave me a month altogether. Then 1 returned to Trentham. The next day I was not feeling too well, and I went to see the doctor, and lie put me on the Medical Board. 11. Of whom did the Medical Board consist? —Captain Fyffe, Colonel Purdy, and another doctor. 12. Were you examined by them? —Yes, by Captain Fyffe. 13. AVhat took place?—He found out I was ruptured. 14. Dr. Martin.] On which side?—On the left side; and I was immediately discharged. 15. Mr. Skerrett.] Had you any funds at that time?—No, only what I had to draw. 16. Up to that very day? —That is so. 17. There was no leave granted to you? —No leave-money, no. 18. But directly you were ascertained to be suffering from rupture your pay 7 ceased? —Yes. I could not do anything. I have no parents and no home, and I have had to live on the charity of my friends. 19. Did you attribute anything of your present condition to your premature discharge from the Wellington Hospital, or to any other circumstances? —I was discharged too soon from the Wellington Hospital, and being weak it caused the rupture. When I went into camp first I was medioally fit—as fit as any man who went there.