REPLY TO COMPLAINTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 288, 6 December 1939, Page 3

REPLY TO COMPLAINTS

PROFITS GO TO TROOPS. WELLINGTON, Dec. 5. Complaints by some of the troops in the Ngaruawahia military camp about the prices charged in the dry canteen there were referred to by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, in an interview last evening. He said that profits earned by the canteens in the camps were paid into regimental funds for the benefit of men in camp. Since the establishment of the canteens about six weeks ago, £lOOO had been handed over to these funds.

“As far as is possible, every endeavour is made to keep canteen prices down.” said Mr. Jones, “but it has to be remembered that labour costs are higher in canteens than in chain stores, solely because adult labour is engaged in the camps, whereas a large proportion of that in the stores is juvenile. I think it will be agreed that the men are not being exploited as they were in 1914-18. All profits are being retained for the benefit of the men and that would not be the case if the canteens were handed over to private enterprise." Mr. Jones said the authorities would be glad to have specific cases of high prices, so that an investigation could be made to ascertain the reason the price of the article or commodity concerned was higher than I hat ruling in the towns.

The yolk which is absorbed into lheir intestines just prior to birth is quite sufficient to keep them alive for 48 hours. In fact, feeding a duckling during the first two days of its birth makes no difference Io the weight of the duckling at the end of the ninth or tenth week.