ARMY CANTEEN SCANDALS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2150, 16 May 1914, Page 5

ARMY CANTEEN SCANDALS

* : . OPENING OF THE TRIAL. Br Telerraph—Press Association—Conyrlelt London, May 14. The trial of the accused persons in connection with the Army canteen contracts scandals—in which six quartermasters, two sergeants, a major, andeight civilians aro charged that in February, 1903, and on other occasions they conspired that money should corruptly be given as an inducement to favour Lipton's contracts—has _ commenced at the Old Bailey. It is expected to last a fortnight.

At the preliminary inoniiry, counsel for tho prosecution, in outlining tho case, said that keen rivalry had existed between different firms to eecure army canteen contracts, for which a rental of from .£l7 to- .£2O monthly was paid to eupply the rn.os?c!= of 100 men. The duty of makitip: complaints as to tlin quality of tho provisions Tested with the qunrterTCxisters and tho sergeants-mnjor. Heiice arose n svstom of organised and persistent bribery, initiated by tho conductors of Lipton's military canteens. Tho chief witness was Sawyer, a former employe', of Lipfon's, who was instructed bv one Minto. formerly henrl of Lipton's military department, in IM3, to secure the influenco of tho non-comwissioned officers as cheaply as possible. Tlie canteen business drew rapidlv under Sawyer, who later on was personally en trusted with the -payments, malrin? it nlain thnt the heads of the firm desired to concoal their resronsibility. and were nrepared to repudiate their subordinates if anything were revealed. t