“WET” OR “DRY ” CANTEENS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23953, 31 October 1939, Page 9

“WET” OR “DRY ” CANTEENS

SYDNEY CONTROVERSY RAGES EFFECT ON CAMP DISCIPLINE (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY. Oct. 19. The controversy whether canteens in the military camps should be “dry” or “wet” continues on a more intensive scale —kept alive, on the one hand, by officers and troops and widelyexpressed press support for drink to be sold in the camps, and, on the other hand, by the Anglican Synod and other church and temperance bodies advocating the continuance of the “dry” system. Two prominent army officers— Brigadier-generals Goddard and Heane —declared that “ dry ” canteens undermined discipline, because they led to excessive drinking outside camps, and that temperance advocates harmed their cause by demanding “dry” canteens. These two officers generally express the military leaders’ hope that the Government will be persuaded , to reverse its decision not to allow “ wet ” canteens. “ There are ‘ wet ’ canteens in nearly all the barracks whore permanent troops are stationed in Australia,” said one, “The system prevents no end of trouble caused by excessive drinking, sly grog and uncontrolled drinking after hours in hotels near camps.” The president of the Returned Soldiers’ League. Mr L. S. Robb, made the point that the present system meant one law for privates and another for officers and sergeants. “ The men will resent this un-Australian class discrimination,” he declared. “We stand strongly for ‘ wet ’ canteens— ; the only proper way to control drinking. In Egypt during the war we had ‘ wet ’ canteens, with good liquor, reasonable prices, and profits returning to our own comforts funds. Under the ‘ dry ’ canteens system the soldier goes away to the nearest hotel and drinks under less happy circumstances.” Support for “ wet ” canteens also came from the police. One official said: “Prohibition of wet canteens in military camps is bad for discipline. Soldiers in barracks become tired of routine, and there is a tendency to find outlet in the nearest hotel. Extra contingents of police will probably have to be drafted to towns near large camps if wet canteens are not permitted. If hotel facilities were provided in the camps the men would be less likely to leave camp on pay day.” On the same day that diocesan Anglican synods in New Zealand decided in favour of “ wet ” canteens, the synod of the Sydney diocese commended the Federal Government’s decision in favour of “ dry ” canteens, and resolved to ask the Government to make officers’ and sergeants’ messes also dry. A new twist was given to the controversy when it became known that, by order of the Admiralty, a “wet” canteen is to be established in the Royal Naval House, which, for almost 40 years, has been the naval men’s “ club ” in Sydney. The Anglican synod protested against this, the motion pointing out that, “ in defiance of the State law the canteen is to be open till midnight, and also open on Sundays till 10 p.m.” To this protest, the secretary of the Royal Naval House committee, Mr F. W. Dixon, retorted: “ Despite any protests from temperance workers, we will have a wet canteen. The Royal Naval House is for naval men only, and if these men have a wet canteen on board ship, they are entitled to have the same at their dub. A wellcontrolled wet canteen will keep the men in the house. There will be no excessive drinking.”