THE TRANSPORTS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 79, 30 September 1914, Page 3

THE TRANSPORTS

B ** £ CANTEEN CHARGES . DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT. [ When The Post went to press yesterl day afternoon the House of Representatives was discussing the question of the charges made for various goods on. the New Zealand transports by the canteenj keepers — the main 1 points of which were i set out in yesterday's report. r Sir Joseph Ward pointed out that if these ships had gone to sea a great dis- , ability would have been placed on the $ men. The whole of the work, he urged, • should have been undertaken by tho ' Government. It was distressing to [ think that a profit was to be made, per I the canteen, from the men who were ; volunteering for the defence of their country. It was not enough to say that the canteen-keeper was only charging the prices obtainable at Wellington. There . was a contingent of BGOO men, and yet, 1 for instance, they were charged the ■ ordinary rates for tobacco, which was l held on board free of duty. His own 1 opinion was that the canteens should , have been run by men who would not ; have been concerned in making a profit. 1 The only alternative to selling goods from the canteen at shore rates was to 1 pay the troops shore rates of pay. He also suggested that the men had experienced a difficulty in obtaining the free : gifts made by patriotic individuals. His , point was that no profit should be made by canteen-keepers on the troopships. The Right Hon. W. F. Massey said it was never the idea that the Government would make a profit out of the canteens. He had read that honey and apples sent to the troops had been refused. That was not true. Everything sent had been received j and accepted, and would be used on behalf of the men concerned. Going further into details, he said the receipt of cigarettes was prohibited, because their use was considered to be dangerous. One firm concerned in five ships had expressed its desire to throw up its contract. The Government was prepared to take drastic action; it was not going to have the troops exploited. If each regiment could run its own canteen he would be willing to give every assistance in that direction, and, as a detail, supply them with tobacco free of duty. Mr. Witty wanted to know why tenders were not called for the right of running the canteens on the troopships? Mr. Hanan strenuously contended that the Government should have, in the first place, undertaken the canteen work, not allowing any private firms the chance of exploiting the troops of the Expeditionary Force, ' but retailing ordinary comforts to its own men at cost price. "It seems to me," said Mr. Payne, "that this is a case of save us from our friends. Where the profit carrion is we shall see the Tory vultures gathered." If it had not been that the fleet had been recalled the troops would have been fleeced all the way Home. The Government should have placed the canteens in charge of the regimental and ship's officers. He made the point that, whereas during the time of the strike the "specials" were given cigarettes free of charge, the men who are now about to proceed Home in defence of the Empire were charged full value for" tobacco which was obtained by the canteenkeepers- duty free. r Mr. Veitch urged that the position of the Imperial Reservists on the troopships required the careful consideration of the Government. He went on to urge that a searching enquiry should be set up as to the quality of the goods and clothing supplied to the troops. Mr. Robertson urged that the Government should , ensure that the canteen prices were not N raised after the ships left New Zealand. Replying to further remarks, the Hon. J. Allen said he had taken the trouble to see that no liquor was dealt out to the men on the troopships. The price lists of the canteen were posted up all over the ships. He was determined that every consideration should be shown to the men as far as the' canteens were concerned. As to the use of free gifts, he had no knowledge that pipes sent to the Samoan contingent had not been served out. In the South African campaign free gifts did not reach the^men, but he was making arrangements >by which free gifts for the men would be sent to the High Commissioner and distributed direct to the men. Every memher of the Cabinet, he added, had assisted him in his work in connection with the Expeditionary Force, with the result . that .the work was well distributed. There was no contractor for the can teens, and the Government was not getting a brass farthing out of them. In answer to 1 a question, he said he thought the value of the canteen goods on the ten ships would be about £40,000. Thej firms which had taken up the work. had done so at the request of the Goverh« ment, and at a moment's notice. He did not believe the troops were so lack. , ing in initiative that they could not look after themselves and refuse to be exploited. (Hear, hear.) The Govern- , ment expected these party attacks. , The Hon. W. F. Massey : It's a pretty. , mean thing to use troops for party purposes. Sir Joseph Ward said that there was no truth in the suggestion that the , matter had been considered by a caucus , of the Opposition. Hon. J. Allen: I don't believe it. Sir Joseph Ward said the suggestion : that the matter had been discussed by the party from a party standpoint was . absolutely, incorrect.