POLICY JUSTIFIED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21368, 12 March 1941, Page 9

POLICY JUSTIFIED

CANTEENS FOR FORCES j CONNECTION WITH THE N.A.A.F.I. INQUIRY BOARD’S REPORT FEW COMPLAINTS SUPPORTED The report of the board of enquiry on canteen systems has been received by the Prime Minister from Major-General B. C. Freyberg. The conclusions of the board, which consisted of Brigadier N. S. Falla (president), Colonel W. G. Stevens and Captain H. Turner, are as follows: (1) The bulk of the complaints against N.A.A.F.I. would have been common to any service. The majority are quite unjustified. (2) Those complaints that are justified appear to be remediable with the possible exception of the price of tobacco and cigarettes, and even here a partial solution has been found. (3) The 2nd N.Z.E.F. could provide the business organisation in the Middle East to run a satisfactory service at least as good as either N.A.A.F.I. or Australia. (4) It is very doubtful if supplies of New Zealand goods of sufficient range could be provided with adequate regularity. Not So Flexible (5) A N2w Zealand service could never be as flexible or as übiquitous as N.A.A.F.I. There is a definite advantage in sharing in a big organisation, where large territories are to be covered. (6) Taking into account all the above factors, the only real gain in a New Zealand canteen service would be the moral satisfaction that it was a New Zealand organisation. There is nothing to show that a New Zealand service would otherwise be better than N.A.A.F.I. The board recommends:— (1) That N.A.A.F.I. be approached with a request to increase their stocks of New Zealand goods, to allow for the introduction of some New Zealand personnel in canteens in New Zealand camps, and to confirm the fact that New Zealand will share in the net profits at the end of the war. (2) That provided the answers to the above are satisfactory, N.A.A.F.I. be retained as the N.Z.E.F. canteen service. “No Axe To Grind” At the outset of a lengthy report the board stresses that the N.A.A.F.I. authorities have no axe to grind and are in no sense concerned with endeavouring to retain the custom of the New Zealand Forces in the Middle East. Indeed, they would in some respects welcome a cessation of that custom, enabling the spreading of existing N.A.A.F.I. stocks still further in other directions. It is explained that since the outbreak of war the correct official name of this organisation has been “Expeditionary Forces Institutes,” but the original name “Navy, Army and Ail Force Institutes” has persisted, more often than not in the abbreviated form of “N.A.A.F.1.” N.A.A.F.1., it is pointed out, does not trade for profit. There is no element of private gain. Of money spent at N.A.A.F.1., the greater part merely covers the cost of the article purchased. Of the remainder (the profit in a normal establishment) a percentage is returned to the unit in the form of a rebate, and the balance after allowing for necessary reserves is expended for the benefit of the Services as a whole on such things as increased amenities in the institutes, change of air camps, concert parties, radios, etc. The rebate to units is at present actually 6 per cent of the gross sale. Prompt Service The board adds that for the first time in its history, an efficient canteen service was ready to take the field at the same time as the troops and is functioning in every part of the world where British soldiers, sailors or airmen are serving. By making use of N.A.A.F.1., the N.Z.E.F. has had the benefit of participating in facilities that were already established. Discussing criticism of N.A.A.F.1., thte board says ’quite a number of the complaints were of a nature that should have been dealt with on the spot by unit officers. The board considers that commanding officers ’ do not make enough use of their powers, or possibly do not realise that they have powers over the good ; order and general conduct of N.A.A.F.I. in their lines. With the exception of tobacco and cigarettes, the prices at N.A.A.F.I. , and Australian canteens are practically identical. The basic factor behind the discrepancy in cigarette . and tobacco prices is that the ; N.A.A.F.I. prices are the outcome of an agreement under which they are not markedly below the ordinary civilian retail price. This is neces- , sary to prevent illicit trading with natives. Australian Prices The Australian prices, fixed in Palestine where the population is , sparse, were retained when Australian troops appeared in Egypt, and no action was taken by the Egyptian authorities because of their small i numbers and the fact that on the whole their troops were only in the Western Desert, a very sparsely settled area. The N.A.A.F.I. states that the ex- : cessively high price of tobacco, as ; compared with Australian canteens, , is balanced by a lower price for ; other things such as cups of tea, soft drinks, foodstuffs, etc. Low prices , at Australian canteens apply only ; to Australian cigarettes and tobacco. . The price for other kinds is the same ■ as the N.A.A.F.I. price—only slightly below the normal retail price. New i Zealand cigarettes and tobacco are j at present being sold in the Forces - Club at prices below N.A.A.F.1., . necessitating steps to prevent illicit 1 trading. : N.A.A.F.I. have made it clear if , New Zealand decides to run its own 2 canteens, it must do so throughout i the theatres of war. It would thus i be necessary to follow the Division - m its moves into advanced base - areas and there open institutes or l maintain dumps and maintain supplies far in advance of railheads m

the actual battle area. If the Division were switched to another theatre of war, it would, be necessary to wind up one line of communication Up a frcsh on e, whereas n A i^- F -I- is alread y operating in all theatres. Transport Difficulty The board also refers to the necessity for providing shipping space of the required degree of frequency and regularity, the capital expenditure involved in providing equipment (as distinct from stocks) and the difficulty in obtaining equipment. The board agrees that at intervals there have been deficiencies in N.A.A.F.I. stocks but it points out that the Australians have suffered similarly. Ihe failure to stock New Zealand goods can fairly be criticised. N.A.A.F.I. might well at an earlier date have made arrangements to stock New Zealand goods, especially tobacco and beer. They have now arranged to do so and have appointed a buying agent in New Zealand. If a more vigorous policy in this direction is maintained the , criticism will be fairly met. Reporting on complaints forwarded tnrough the Prime Minister, the board expresses the opinion that there is no evidence of excessive prices in the N.A.A.F.I. lists. In reference to the statement that Australian canteens are run by Australians, not by natives who constantly endeavour to give the wrong change, ; the board states that the Australians employ three natives to one Australian in the canteen service generally, the proportion of natives in the actual canteens being even higher. Employment of Natives Referring to natives generally, the , board says it is clear that their intelligence is not always high enougn to stand up to a rush of custom such as occurs on pay night. In regard to comments on the quality of beer soid by N.A.A.F.1., it is stated that the Egyptian beer soid in these canteens, while possibly not of the same standard as New Zealand beer, is prepared under good conditions and i is stated by Army hygiene authori- , ties to be quite pure. English beer ■ is also available. Replying to the query, “What use ; is patriotic fund money being put ■ to?” the board states that the totai . expenditure in Egypt from the ; patriotic fund to the time the report ■ was issued was over £SOOO sterling, r This has been spent as follows: i Extras (Is 6d per head) for Christ- > mas dinners, grant of 5s per head to , regimental funds, grants to sports t bodies, stationary (Y.M.C.A.), furnishing of huts, picnics, comforts for (' personnel returning to New Zealand. i Further expenditure is now being t made in the New Zealand Forces Club, and in addition there have i been three issues of gift parcels from ? New Zealand, quantities of bala- • claras, scarves, etc., are in the hands - | of Ordnance for distribution, and i j books, radios, games, etc., have been

received from New Zealand. Conservation of Funds The policy of the committee administering the fund in Egypt has been a conservative one in view of the fact that for the greater portion ! of the year the troops have been I living under “base camp” conditions, j with other amenities close at hand. ! The need for comforts was felt to i be small compared with that which would arise in field operations in the future. Replying to the question “Why could not the patriotic fund donate enough to put on Christmas dinner without troops having to help pay for. it by putting in eight pesetas?” the board states that the Egypt rebate fund (which emanates from N.A.A.F.1.) made a grant of Is per head for Christmas dinners and the patriotic fund one of Is 6d per head, which together with the normal ration and Christmas parcels should have been ample. The putting in o£ eight pesetas might have been \ some isolated unit arrangement on ‘ which tiae board can offer no eom--1 menu