DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 182, 22 April 1918, Page 7

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

EXPENDITURE COMMISSION

THE CANTEEN SYSTEM

SAVING MONEY FOR SOLDIERS

ilio Defence Expenditure Commission Bat on Saturday morning for the hearing of evidence. Brig-idier-General Sir Hobert Anderson presided, and ono of the other Commissioners, Mr. Peter Barr, sat with AIM. ' ■

Captain Andrew Fairbaim, president of the Military Canteen Committee, gave evidence. JIo said that the camp canteens were taken over by the military authorities in Novombor, 1917. Previously they iiad been run by contractors. Prices were at onco reduced 30 per cent, under military control. Tho chief purpose of talcing oyer the canteens yras not to build up largo tunds, but to sell tho best duality goods at low prices. Tfiis purpose had been Achieved. The prices charged the soldier had been halved in eomo instances. Ho quoted instances. J. Hero had been a saving to tho soldier jn every instance. Tho soldiers would mavo to pay half as much again for- toiiet soaps under the old scale. Tho price »i cigarettes of standard brands had Oieen reduced from 7d. to lid., and other .'tobacco accordingly. Pies cost 2d. instead of 3d., tea and coffee 2d. per cup instead of 3d., and so' forth. The canteen .was paying at least 50 per cent, nioro for tea and coffee than the canteen proprietors had paid owing to |ae improved quality. Tho soldiers would bo paying 40 per cent, more for confectionery if tho eld system had been retained. Tho dinincrconl was admittedly better run than previously, and the canteen price' was Is., as against Is. 6d. Hair-cutting cost 3d. and lid., instead of Is. Tho witness emphasised that quality was tho first contiideration iri tho purchase of all canteen supplies. The lanteen proprietors had paid 2} per head of effectivo men actually in oamp per day lor their privileges; On the old basis the canteen proprietors IVO dm? P a y in S no «' about .£13,000 a year. The present control, on tho sarao basis, would show a profit of about »00, out as against that tliero was a saving to the men of about dC24,000. The differ-' •ence in" favour nf the men was thus .£19,000. He did not think that tho canteen proprietor would have made .£19,000 a year. It was quite possible that the late canteen proprietor did not mako ■money. The Department was buying finder the most favourable conditions. .Wholesale firms had met it on very favourablo terms. No cash was handled at the counter, so that error and petty fraud had been eliminated. The men •bought tickets, and these wero ,taken over tho canteen.- counters. Tho stall were paid out of canteou funds. Tho' canteen was paying .to the Government J5 per cent., on tiie cost of buildings used by .tho canteen. The buildings had already been paid for from canteen funds. Tho annual payment to the Government was about .t'IM. The annual turnover was about .£75,000 at present, and was likaly to rise to j;ioo,000. The-' payment lor rent was not large, but be did not tlliuk it should be required, since the canteen buildings really belonged to Ills soldier. Sir Piobert Anderson said'the amount very small. Tho Government was handling the-matter as a private owner would do.'

Captain Fairbairn said the regulations provided that tho Government should provide canteen buildings. Sir Kobert Anderson: 1 should bo sorry to see the Government follow Imperial regulations in all particulars.

The witness said tho cmten funds paid for all services rendered in connection with the canteen. It appeared to him that Government Departments to some extent wore working against one another. He produced a list of articles of kit issued to each . man, and tho prices charged. A toothbrush, for instance, cost the Government about 4d., and if a man lost it he was charged Is. Id. The charges generally were much higher than the canteen prices. The canteen had paid duty on all its. goods, and was then able to sell at prices substantially lower than were charged by tho Q.M.G. Department, although Government stores did not Say duty. He could buy lamp chimneys at about as. 6d. a dozen, yet the officers' mess was charged 2s. each by Ordnance Stores plus 10 per cent, for administrative charges.

Sir Ifobert Anderson: I am glad the Government is making a profit somewhere. Perhaps they want to discourage breakages. Captain Fnirhairn said that in the 'discission of camp administration it should be remembered that tho troops in training were nil reinforcements. They had no battalion organisation, and this meant that the camp commandants had ■to undertake much routine work that ■would lie performed otherwise by battalion staffs. A camp commandant might spend a great part of his day dealing with "orderly room" cases. The system .produced constant changes in personnel, and this checked the development of efficiency. He considered that in the circumstances the camp administration was remarkably efficient, aud that there was ,rery little waste. He had investigated complaints of waste of food, and had found that the ' quantity of foodstuffs

placed in tho pig bucket was by no means excessive. At 0110 lime there had been waste ol meat owing to the use of frozen meat and the lack of time and opportunity to thaw it properly. The meat could not be cooked properly. Jjut this had been remedied. 'I lie lly nuisance had been abolished in tho'camps. Tho medical and dental services were highly olfieient. Bofercnco had been made in ovideuco to the camp adjutants at Featherston, Major Newcomb and Major Silcock. It was felt in cam)) that theso officers bad done exceedingly well. Ho did not flunk that too many men wero employed in the camps. The camps wero not fully occupied at tho present time, but the number was to bo increased.

The Commission adjourned until this morning, at IB' o'clock.