MEN AND "KIDS."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1125, 19 December 1914, Page 11

MEN AND "KIDS."

ANOTHER CANTEEN COMPLAINT,

Writing to his relatives in Auckland, a member of the: IJjfew Zealand Expeditionary _ Force draws a.comparison between life on the' transports' conveying tlie New Zealand troops and on the Australian boats.

/'The -," he says, "is only carrying 400 men and horses, against cur 1600 men and 500 horses. We are Eacked like sardines in a box; they aye cabin accommodation. Not one of their boats have been altered,, except to. accommodate, the- horses. Further, to please' the wowsers, no liquor is allowed aboard the bonis, nor cigarettes. Soft drinks cost 8d a quart bottle, and you hav« to put out five shillings before you can buy a pennyworth. The canteens are badly stocked. Tho contrast to this state of affairs:—-The Australians get 6s a day, have cigarettes , supplied'at twopence per packet of ten, and ale at twopence a pint. _ sach man may purchase two pints in one day. They are treated like men; ..we from New Zealand like children. There is deeprooted dissatisfaction all among our fleet, particularly on the , owing to the'"overcrowding. > " The last four nights some of us have slept on deck, and I . can assure you it is appreciably better than the company's submarine dungeon. Considering all things, the health of the men is good, but one and all swear by all that is holy that one trip in a troopship is enough, and if at all possible they will come home on passenger boats; even if they ha.ve to. pay their own fares. _ They did not expect a picnic, neither did they expect to be _ packed like sardines, treated like kids, and fed -on-the stuff given to pigs in New Zealand. If the matter is not taken up by the papers, it certainly will not be the boys fault. They are out .after the blood of the officials responsible."