PRICES IN CANTEENS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20112, 5 December 1939, Page 4

PRICES IN CANTEENS

COMPLAINTS BY TROOPS MINISTER EXPLAINS ADULT LABOUR COSTS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. 'Complaints by some of the troops in the Ngaruajwahia military camp about the prices charged in the dry canteen there were referred to by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, in an interview last evening. He said that the profits earned by canteens in camps were paid into the regimental funds for the benefit of the men in camp. -Since the establishment of canteens about six weeks ago the sum of £IOOO Had been handed over to these funds. “As far as is possible every endeavour is made to keep the canteen prices down,” said Mr. Jones, “but it has to be remembered that labour Costs are higher in canteens than in the chain stores, solely because adult labour is engaged in the camps, whereas a large proportion of that in the stores is juvenile. I think it will be agreed that the men are not being exploited as they were in 1914-18. “All the profits are being retained for the 'benefit of the men and that would not ibe the case if the canteens were handed over to private enterprise.”

Mr. Jones said that the authorities would be glad to have specific cases of high prices so that investigation could be made to ascertain the reason the price of the article or commodity, concerned was higher than that ruling in tile towns.