CANTEENS IN EGYPT

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21357, 27 February 1941, Page 5

CANTEENS IN EGYPT

SOLDIERS’ COMPLAINT NEW ORGANISATION WANTED (By Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday New Zealand soldiers in the Middle East are demanding their own canteens. A picture of the conditions faced by the men is given in a letter received from a Christchurch soldier serving in Egypt. “I believe some move has been made to start an organisation to run our own canteens for the New Zealand overseas forces.” he writes. “These are long overdue. At present we are entirely at the mercy of what is known as the N.Z.A.F.I. (Navy, Army and Air Force Institute). Prices are terrific. We are forced to depend largely on the kindness of the Australian canteens, which are run very efficiently, for tobacco, that being the only place in which tobacco (one of our most pressing needs) is within reach of the pocket of the average soldier. These N.A.A.F.I. canteens are manned mostly by Egyptians, whose one aim in life seems to be to get rich quick at our expense.” Enclosing a copy of ■the N.A.A.F.I. official price list the correspondent shows the brands of cigarettes sold in New Zealand in packets of ten for 7d cost the soldiers the equivalent of 10d in New Zealand currency, while two ounces of tobacco cost approximately 2s lOd.