The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1914. CANTEEN CHARGES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 109, 1 October 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1914. CANTEEN CHARGES.

It will come as a great shock to the people of New Zealand, who have shown such enthusiasm over tho mombers of tho Expeditionary Force, to find that theifl patriotic men, who have at great sacrifico given their services in the defence of the Empire, should have been treated as fair game for exploitation by the contractors for tho canteens on board the transport ships. One would have thought that the Defence Department would have been particularly keen on making tho canteen arrangements as perfect as possible, so as to ensure that the members of tho forco would not, on the top of their many sacrifices, be raided for big profits by canteen contractors. The Mayor of Christehurch and the New Zealand' Times havo done good service by drawing public attention to tho scandal, and though the Minister

for Defence declined to make any statement to the Times' representative relative to the complaints and protests, he has made an explanation in the House; but we are sorry to And that lus reply only makes matters appear in a more unsatisfactory light, for it condemns the Department for its inefficiency and inability to deal with the canteen arrangements satisfactorily. Admitting that the Minister himself has had no previous experience of the kind, it still reflects most unfavorably on tho administration of the Department that such a simple detail as canteen arrangements, which should naturally have been entrusted to tho Commonwealth authorities, should be let to contractors, who naturally want to make as much as possible out of the opportunity. That such a deplorable arrangement was made demonstrates only too clenrly that the authorities in charga are woefully lacking in even the elementary knowledge necessary for tho work that needs performing. Tho only excuse put forward by the Minister was that though the Department desired to have canteens set up, there was no timo to do it. It is apparent that such an excuse is not only totally unacceptable, and unworthy of tho head of the Department, but it places the shortcoming in the light of a deliberate overthrow of all consideration for tho men and an exhibition of callousness that contrasts most vividly with the feeling of the people towards the contingenters. It may bo confidently asserted that not one fraction of profit should be made out of tho articles served out to t'us mou. It is equally certain that there are scores of competent men in the commissariat department, nnd outside, who would havo undertaken the management of the canteens on tho transports, but the lame excuse of there being no time available to make use of theso men has caused the troopers considerable cost and annoyance. The Premier makes matters worse when ho tries to minimise tho trouble by stating that there has been a good deal of exaggeration. The Minister did not deny that aerated water cost a shilling a quart bottle, or that tobacco was Bold at full retail prices though, aomo of it was duty free. Neither did ho disprove the statement that a generous gift of 3001bs of honey had not boen allowed to be rc- | ceiTcd on board because it might interfere with the rights of the contractors. I The men had to pay high prices for everything, and it is just as well that they returned to port, as now & drastic alteration in the arrangements should be made. Some of the contractors are willing to give up their contracts, but others are not, and it is necessary to deal with tho latter in aucli a way as to ensure that tho prices will be satisfactory. The Government cannot bo relieved from the blame of not having undertaken the canteen arrangements. This error ehould now ba retrieved, as the, public are in no mood to listen to puerile excuses whore tho comfort and convenience of tho troopers are concerned. Apparently, the publio exposure hag aroused the Government to thei shortcomings, and it is to be liopeel tha no time will be tost in placing the canteen arrangements in charge of the proper authorities —the commissariat department—so "int the men may obtain their require 3 at as near nnt price R* possible.