A FEW PECULIARITIES

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 10 June 1915, Page 2

A FEW PECULIARITIES

In advertising " Sealed Tenders " for delivery of commodities the other day for the New Zealand Hospital Ship, which is remarkably generous, the Quartermaster-General had no occasion to try andt hrow dust in the eyes of the people by mixing-up brandy with the jellies, champagne with the corn flour, stout and port wine with the tinned pea soup, or claret, gin and whisky with tapioca, cocoa, and stewed oysters. This is the way iv which the tenders for supplies are humbugged and twisted about. : —

Arrowroot, 4001b; Brandy, 780 bottles; Calf's Foot Jelly, 7501b; Cocoa; 2001b; Champagne, 1000 pints; Cornflour 2251b ; Roast Fowl, 15001b ; meat extract 5001bs; Condensed Milk, 11,250 tins, Stout, 7200 half pints; Pearl Barley, 4591b; Pea Soup, 2251b; Port Wine, 1128 bottles ; Tapioca, 1501b ; Spirits of Wine 50 gallons; Lemons, 10 cases;

Claret, 216 bottles; Gin, 324 bottles; Whisky, 408 bottles.

Now, as few arrowroot and cocoa men or pea soup merchants are in the wholesale liquor Jine, why in the world are groceries mixed up with the grog bill? Unless it is intended to play into the hands of the Jews ! If the Hospital Ship Department wanted so much liquor, why the deuce didn't it say so right oil" the reel? Thusly : 880 bottles of brandy, 1000 pints of champagne, 7200 half-pints of stout, 1,120 bottles of port wine, 50 gallons spirits of wine, 218 bottles claret, 324. bottles of gin (large or small, it doesn't say), and last of all (gently there now) only 408 botrles of whisky, Large, , small, or what brand, ' whether it be Scotch or Irish, White Horse or Black Horse, or even Usher's that doesn't matter either, but why the odd eight bottles ? That is what bothers the Echo. How do you feel ?