"LONG OVERDUE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 48, 26 February 1941, Page 8

"LONG OVERDUE."

N.Z.'S OWN CANTEENS.

COMMENT FROM EGYPT.

(P A.) LHRISTC'HITtC H, tlii; day. New Zealand soldiers in the Middle East are demanding their own canteens. A picture of the conditions faced by the men is given in a letter received from a Christcliurch soldier serving in Egypt. "I believe some move has been made to start an organisation to run our own canteens for New Zealand overseas forces. These are long overdue. At present we arc entirely at the mercy of what is known as the N.A.A.F.I. (Navy, Army and Air Force Institute). Prices arc terrific. We ore forced to depend largely on the kindness of the Australian canteens, which arc run very efficiently, Jor tobacco, that being the only place in which tobacco (one of our most pressing needs) is within the pocket «>f ihe average soldier. These N.A.A.F.I. canteens are manned mostly by Epvptians. whose one aim in life seems to be to get rich quick at our expense by >hort weight, colossal prices and any other means of trickcrv."

Enclosing a ropy of flip X.A.A.F.I. official price list the correspondent shows that brands of cigarettcs, sold in New Zealand in packets of 10 for 7d. cost soldiers the equivalent of lOd in New Zealand currency, while two ounces of tobacco cost approximately 2,'10.