CANTEEN SCANDAL

West Coast Times, 19 May 1914, Page 2

CANTEEN SCANDAL

TRIAL BEGUN. AT THE OLD BAILEY. EXPECTED TO LAST A FORTNIGHT [PKR PBKBB association - .— eorviucin.) l/tNDON. May Hi. The trial of the accused persons in connection with the Army canteen tontracts scandals-in which six quartermasters, two sergeants, a major, and eight civilians are charged that in Fehrnirv. )!MIH, and on oilier occasions they conspired that money should i-or-rnptly be given as an inducement to favour Upton’s contracts- has commenced at the Old Halley. It is i-x----pccled to last a fortnight.

| The following announcement was issued from the War Office in November last As the result of the special investigation wbieb has been conducted recently, with a view to Listing the ucenr.'iey of allegations made in various quarters as to the existence of a systet, of bribery and corruption in regard to die conduct ol cantimns in {be Army, information lias been laid before (lie Army Council, in consequence of which the Council has given orders, in tho first instance, for the enlivening of a general court-martial, before wbieb charges will be preferred against tin) following Tim Hon. Major and Quartermaster K. Walker, Hoards’ i>epnt ; the Hon. Captain and Quartermaster .1. Cowles. Ist Battalion Irish Gourds; the Him Lieutenant and Quartermaster <l. JL Burton. 4th Hussars, Hie Hon. Lieutenant and Quartermaster T. Pol t er, :trd Battalion Argyll ami Sutherland Highlanders; the Hon. Lieutenant, and Quartermaster W. J. Armstrong, Ist Battalion Norfolk Regiment.” At nqnlry. Mr. Muir, counsel for the prosecution, said that keen malty existed between the different. linns to secure contracts, tor wbieb a rental of from £l7 to £2O monthly was paid to supply the mess ~f nil men. The duty of making complaints as to the quality of the provisions rested with the quartermasters ami the sergeant-major. Heme arose a system of organised and persistent, bribery, initiated by the conductors of l.iptoii’s military canteens. The chief witness would be Sawyer, a former employee of Upton's, who was instructed by'one Minto, formerly bead of Lijiton’s military department, in 1003, t0 secure the influence of the non-commis-sioned officers a> cheaply as possible. Tim canteen business grew readily tin<l(‘r SnwytM - , wlm lalcr was personaby entrusted with the payments, making it plain that the heads ol the firm desired to corneal their responsibility, ami were prepar.sl to repudiate their subordinates if anything were revealed. ]-i self-protection the subordinates obtained written authority, and v when Sawyer wanted bribes he had to go to Minto (the manager). Many letters were read, detailing the payments to he quartermasters. Sawyer, in a letter, stated that Quartermaster Armstrong had clamoured for £oo to secure a eoijfraet for tin, Ist Battalion at Aldershot. lint Sawyer hud recommended £2ll. Pcgley, inspector of the Colchester branch, wrote to the company saying that four of dm sergeants-major bad made up their minds to stop tit nothing to get fresh contractors unless thev were well paid.]