RAILWAY REFRESHMENT ROOM PRICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24827, 29 January 1942, Page 7

RAILWAY REFRESHMENT ROOM PRICES

TO THE EDITOB Sir—At this time, when people are being asked to give their all for their country, I wish, to call your attention to the shameful prices that are being charged by this wonderful Government of ours. I was a traveller by the express to Timaru the other day, and went into the refreshment room at Oamaru Station and ordered a cup of tea and a pie. Imagine my surprise when I was charged lOd. The quality of both the tea and the pie did not impress me favourably. Now. I. look after myself, and a Jib of tea lasts me a little'over a week. It costs me 2s, and out. of that I get 104 good cups of tea Of course, the Railways Department would get its tea at a smaller cost because it buys it in bulk. Sup-, pose, however, that, its tea costs it the exact price that mine does, viz., 4s a pound. From a pound of tea at the lowest estimate it gets 208 cups of tea. especially as it is made in an urn. It charges 4d a cup. which is equal to £3 12s a pound. Take off that 6s. say. for milk and sugar, and that is nowhere near what the cost would be of sugar and milk for 208 cups of tea—it still leaves a profit of £3 6s. What a racket! Why the people put up with it I don't know. I for one would not pay it again, and I ask if you can blame people for wanting to take beer on trains when they are expected to pay such a price for a cup of tea? I am not speaking so much for myself, but I noticed on my way back that most of the train was occupied by boys coming home on leave, and those boys were doing their bit to keep the members of the Government in a life of ease by profiteering.—l am, etc.. A Returned Soldier.