CANTEEN SCANDALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 16, 19 January 1914, Page 5

CANTEEN SCANDALS.

SIXTEEN DEFENDANTS. NON-COMS. AND TRADESMEN. UPTONS' NAME INVOLVED —•"* a • \By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) LONDON, January 18. The summonses in the canteen contract scandals case are against six qmartermaeters, two sergeant-majors, and eight civilians, who -were, yesterday charged that in February, 1903, and on other occasions, they conspired that money should corruptly be given as an inducement to favour Uptons' contracts. Mr. E. D. Muir conducted the prosecution, and in outlining the caee, said that keen rivalry existed between different firms to eecure the contracts, for which a rental of from £-17 to £20 monthly was paid to supply the messes of 100 men. The duty of marking complaints as to the quality of the provisions rested with the quartermasters and the ser-geant-majore, hence the system wae organised. A persistent system of bribery •was initiated by the conductors of Liptons' military canteens. The chief witnese, said Mr Muir, -would be a man named Saivyer, a former employee of Liptons, who was instructed by Minto, formerly head of Liptons' military department, in 1903 to secure the influence of the non-commissioned officers as cheaply as possible. canteen business grew rapidly under Sawyer, who later on was personally entrusted with the payments, making it plain that the heads of the firm desired to conceal their responsibility, and were prepared to repudiate their subordinate if anything was revealed. In self-pro-tection the subordinates obtained written authority. •■ '(Received 8 a.m.) LONDON, January IS. Mr. Muir went on to say that when Sawyer wanted bribes, he had to go to Messrs. Minto and Causfield (general manager). Many letters would be read, detailing payments to quartermasters by Sawyer. One letter would state that Quartermaster Armstrong clamoured for £50 before he would secure the contract for the first battalion at Aldershot. Sawyer recommended £20. Pegley, the inspector of the Colchester branch, wrote to the company, saying that four ser-geant-majors had made up their minds to stop at nothing to get fresh contractors unless they were well paid. The hearing of the case has been adjourned.