CANTEEN SCANDALS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 151, 1 March 1915, Page 2

CANTEEN SCANDALS

A "JOLLY OLD BURST-UP" PRO-, MISED. GIFT GOODS SOLD IN CAMP. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 27. A private writing from Zeitun camp, Cairo, to his inotWar at Sock-1 burn 'complains of the manner in which letters intended for the troops go astray. The' gifts, tco, that were presented to the members of the expeditionary forces before they left these shores have an unpleasant habit of turning up in the canteens, where troopers often find they have bought •'gift" goods. Private Leamen writes: "You know all that gift stuff which was given to us. Well, all we have had so far has been two sticks of tobacco, two cakes of soap, and one bottle of drink. J VYe have susp'ected all the time that we Were buying gift stuff in the canteens, but it is all coming to light now. The other day a trooper bought a tin of tobacco and on opening it he found a note from th'e New Zealand lady who had given it. The matter was reI ported to headquarters, and there is going to be a-jolly old burst-up over it, and somebody will be getting into ■a nice Mile bit of ..om ;e. Jt is being discovered now that not only are many of the gifts to the troops missing, but that Government's goods also are not turning up. In on|e case alone it is reported 250 saddles, are niif-s----ing, but we have not ascertained for certain whether this is true. Anyway, the military authorities are not giving out any more clothes lor gear till they find out what is missing. Another member of the expedition- i ary force writing from Zeitun camp also complans of cantejen -scandals. Referring to the conduct of the canteen he writes: "In any case someone will have to give a few 'explanations when we get back. We can buy the same lemonade out of our own canteen here for 2Sd ,whil;3 on the troopship we had to pay 8d a bottle. Then one trooper bought a cake of chocolate, s.nd inside the wrapper was a note saying that it was presented by an Auckland laly. The same thing happened with a cake."