MILITARY CANTEEN.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1917, Page 7

MILITARY CANTEEN.

IMPORTANT MOVE AT FEATHERiSTON CAMP. Starting from the fifteenth of this month the camp canteen at Featherston will be run as a military canteen, differing from those of the Imperial Army only in the fact that it will be a dry canteen— 110 alcoholic liquor will be sold. This change from civilian to military control of the largest camp canteen in New Zealand may be said to bo an important innovation the operation of which will be watched with intereßt (says tho 'Dominion). Ever since the opening of Featherston Camp the Commandant, Colonel N. P. Adams, C.M.G., has had in mind tho running of the canteens of the main and subsidiary camps under military control. The enterprise, however, was a large one, involving extensive organisation and capital, and it wag decided to begin with ■ the small canteen at Papawai, which is a machine-gun and musketry camp. Some months ago this experiment was begup, and has worked with complete success; and the big canteen in the main camp is now to be taken over and conducted in tho same way. The definition of a military canteen may bo given as a business organised by soldiers for the 'benefit of soldiers. The rations allowed each officer and man are sufficient for tho bare necessities of life. Outside these, however, every soldier has ( bther wants, more ro less necessary or luxurious —cigarettes and tobacco being accounted necessities by soldiors. Military canteens, were therefore, devised for the purpose of buying in the best market and selling at the lowest possible price those extra articles required by soldiers. The staffs are composed of 'home-service men, who are paid a little extra duty pay, in tho same way that carpenters, plumbers, and other skilled tradesmen in khaki are paid when plying their trades in camp. All working expenses are kept as low as possible, and if any profits lire made they go to the regimental funds of the troops which are in camp and using the .canteens during the period in which the profit is made. Tt is on these lines that the Featheriton Camp canteen will be managed, the officer in charge being one experienced In such business.