STATE ROBBERY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16034, 27 January 1920, Page 5

STATE ROBBERY.

OF TRAIN TRAVELLERS, EXPLOITATION IN FOODSTUFFS,' (From v Our Travelling Reporter.) Tho criticism r. the “Herald,” on Tuesday last concerning Government profiteering in foodstuffs at the State dining and refreshment rooms has created a good deal of discussion among those who wore, until then, unaware of the fact, whilst those who travel and aro “taken down” arc loud in. their denunciation of the methods adopted by tbo commissariat department of tiro Government to assist in swelling railway profits.

One of the meanest and most disgraceful features of the business is the charge being made upon the women and children, who are the chief consumers of milk when travelling. One has only to make investigations at any dairy to find that milk is sold at about Is lOd per galkn, and on that price the vendor and dairyman each gets a .separate profit. The Government, which probably buys at about Is or Is 3d per gallon, is not even satisfied with the Is Kid that tho shop gets, for, to its shame, be it sa'd, the Government has raised iho price to fid ]>er glass, or at the rate of approximately 4o per gallon. To profiteer to such an extent on a drink and food used principally by women and children is, as the boys say, “pure dynamite.”

Furthermore, there lias been no increase in tho price of bread or butter, and yet tho Government has raised the price to kl per slice. Why, a whole loaf of bread can bo bought at any retail shop for od, as compared with, tho Government's price of 4d per slice! Tho value of tho butter that is used on each slice would hardly amount to a farthing. As pointed out last week, a bun or a soono that can bo purchased at any bakers’ or cook shop in New Zealand for one penny costs 4d when you talk to the Government, and the best advice that can lie given to travellers just now is “Take your own Vats’ when you (ravel ou the New Zealand railways J”

The profiteering on smokes is also correspondingly groat. .Smoking, of course, is a luxury, and can be done without, but iho Government should hang its head in shame at the extensive and unjustifiable profiteering that obtains on State foodstuffs at the present time. If any private firm were guilty of such an offence there would be a proper “squeal,” and it is time that, concerted action was taken to compel the. Government to stop making excessive and tin duo profits on the necessities of tho pjooplc who travel.