THE CANTEEN.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12945, 9 December 1909, Page 4

THE CANTEEN.

It is regrettable to find the Wanganui Council of Churches prepared to attempt the killing of universal defence training unless the canteen be abolished. We are in sympathy with the abolition of the canteen, provided the private importation of liquor to the camps is forbidden as well. It must be obvious that youths will be more exposed to temptation if their tent mates are drinking all around them from private bottles and private kegs. One begins to fear that the Council is prepared to sacrifice the principle of universal defence training to expediency, just as the Minister of Labour seems prepared to sacrifice his leasehold principles rather than give up his portfolio. We would naturally expect to find the Council pledging itself to oppose the canteen -by "every constitutional means." But what it has pledged itself to is something very different. "If the canteen be not abolished," «ay the | reverend gentlemen, "we will oppose " What? The canteen? No; but universal defence training. No matter how good uriveTsal training may be, no matter how necessary, no matter how thoroughly they believe in it, no' matter how they themselves may have spoken and worked for itj they will oppose the principle if their wishes in regard to one single detail arj not carried out. They might just an logically urge the abolition of the r-»lwaya because there are liquor bars on some stations, or the abolition of the navy because grog is served out to the sailors. It might be suggested to the Council that the "constitutional means" Which may ie effective enough to kill defence iraini-e ought to be equally as strong for killing the canteen, and, if concentrated on that and the private importation tf liqior, would do more good than if directed against the- national necessity of efficient defence.