ABSTRACT
Colonel NORTH rose [in the House of Commons] to move for a copy of any correspondence which had taken place between the War Department and Mr. Huthnance, relative to his apparatus for a drying room to be attached to a laundry; and copies of any reports which had been made on this subject by any officers to whom the question had been referred. The hon. and gallant member said, notwithstanding the enormous sums of money which had been voted of late for the army, that on which the soldier's comfort and even his health so greatly depended, namely, the making proper arrangements for the washing and drying of his linen, had been entirely neglected. In the camp at Aldershott there was one hut set apart for washing, and in that hut there were five or six boilers. There was no allowance of fuel to the soldiers' wives, and they were obliged either to collect heather or to buy coals at 16d. per cwt., which had to be carried a considerable distance. It should be recollected that a soldier's wife was the wife of a person who received the enormous sum of a shilling a day for his services. As regarded drying, there was a portion of the barrack ground set apart for drying out of doors; but he was told that when there had been four or five wet days consecutively the linen had to be kept in a wet state during the whole period. Ironing could only be performed on the top of a small stove, with an area of about two feet square. He had brought under the attention of the War Department the invention of Mr. Huthnance for washing and drying purposes, one merit of which was great economy in the use of fuel. It was in May, 1855, that this invention was first submitted to their notice. Two years ago it was reported upon favourably by the Inspector-General of Fortifications; but though last winter and the previous one were very severe nothing had as yet been done, and in reply to a letter which he sent to the War-office last month, he received a letter from Lord Panmure, dated the 6th of July, declining to give the invention a trial. Two years ago it was introduced into the workhouse of Banbury, where he (Colonel North) was chairman of the Board of Guardians, where it had worked satisfactorily, and he believed the Poor-law Board had recommended its general adoption in poorhouses. Under these circumstances, he thought her Majesty's soldiers were entitled to the benefit of a fair trial for the invention, especially as Mr. Huthnance had offered to supply the apparatus for that purpose at his own expense if the government would simply provide a suitable building.
