CANTEEN FUNDS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11732, 23 June 1916, Page 6

CANTEEN FUNDS.

£12,700 RECEIVED AT TRENTHAM. ALL GIVEN TO THE TROOPS. Tho sale of the "selling privileges" of Trentham camp since the camp was inaugurated has resulted in very substantial profits being derived by the troops. These "selling privileges" include the right to run the canteen, etc., subject to the general supervision and regulation of prices by the Camp Commandant (Lieutenant-Colonel H. 11. Potter). For these privileges the retailers pay definite suma, tho largest amounts being received from the canteen, tho right for which is let by tender. These sums are. all paid iuto an account called " canteen funds," and on the principle that these profits are derfyed from the men's .pockets they are credited to th© Reinforcement drafts, who receive the lot. As each draft leaves its O.C. (or O.C. each company) is paid rts proportion according to* strength and length of time the. Reinforcement has been in Trentham camp. In this way the amount paid to the Reinforcements leaving Trentham from the Trentham Canteen Funds to date amounts to no less than £9447 os lid, leaving £3252 19s 6d still in hand to be paid to existing Reinforcements. The amounts paid out and in hand are shown as follow: £ s. d. To O.C. 2nd Reinforcement* . 180 0 0 To O.C. 3rd Reinforcements . 238 16 0 To O.C. Samoan Relief . . 75 0 0 To O.C 4th Reinforcements . 589 0 0 To O.C. sth Reinforcements . S4l -16 9 To O.C. 6th Reinforcements . 1.082 9 5 To O.C. 7th Reinfoicementa . 269 17 3 To O.C. Bth Reinf< rcemenU . SS7 14 0 To O.C. 9th Reinforcements . 1,054 14 10 To O.C. 10th Reinforcement* . 482 17 5 To O.C. 11th Reinforcement* . SOl 0 5 To O.C. 12th Reinforcement* . S9l 12 0 To O.C. loth Reinforcement* . 1,000 410 To O.C. l'4th Reinforcement* . 1,052 2 6 Total paid out . . . £9.447 511 Remaining in hand . . £3,252 19 6 Grand total . . - £12,700 5 5 In view of the fact that many of the articles in the canteen at Trentham are sold below town prices, and very often the qiiality is equally good, the announcement that such large sums have been paid to the troops will be received with general satisfaction. It should also, it is claimed, constitute a convincing reply to those who advocate that the canteen should be run by the Government, which, it is questionable, would be able to nm it at a profit on present prices and at the same time pay a handsome profit to the men. A balance-sheet of the "canteen funds" is published for the information of the troops regularly, and the money, as already indicated, is handed to them for expenditure on the voyage or at tho front, in whatever way they think it. —"Post."