The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-10-31
CANTEEN SERVICE
BEING IMPROVED
NEW RULING MAKES SELLING
PRICES MORE UNIFORM.
SALVATION ARMY AND K. Of C.
Join With v NJ. C. A. In Conducting
Canteens-Governme Furnishes
Cargo Spaee-supplies Purehas-
ed From ouartermaster.

Des Moines. Oct. 2S.-All goods on
sale for the American Expeditionary
Forces at the Y. NJ. c. A. canteens in
France will after November lst, be
sold at the same prices as those
charged by quartermasters' stores.
This announcement was made at
headquarters of the United War Work
campaign today, following receipt of
cable from Paris, stating that this
arrangement, which the Y NJ. c. A.
has been trying several months TO
make with army authorities, had been
granted by General Pershing.
This means that certain brands of
cigarettes which sell for fifteen cents
in this country will cost the soldiers
in France only nine and a fraction,
and that smoking tobacco which is
five cents bag over here will sell for
four and fraction over there. Prices
of many articles will still be larger
on the other side than on this, but
under the new arrangement, prices
will be uniform throughout France.
because the quartermaster
was charged no freight on his ship
ments, while Y M. c. A. has had to
pay very heavy freight, prices have
varied considerably. and the impress
sion has sometimes gone out that the
canteen was conducted at a profit in
France. On the contrary, it has
been conducted at loss aggregating
of thousands of dollars.
General Pershing has also arrang-
ed that canteens be extended to huts
of the Salvation Army and Knights
Columbus. Thus all three organiza-
tons will become in sense agents
If the quartermasters' department,
which will supply goods TO be sold,
keep prices uniform, and arrange for
part at least of the transportation
DIR. John r. Mott director general
of the United War Work campaign,
in commenting on the cable, said:
his CltdIH up Al punt Ou W.
fcers of the Y. NJ. c. A. have been at
work many months, and which has led
to widespread misunderstanding. The
canteen business was undertaken by
the y. NJ. c. A. originally at the re-
quest of General Pershing, and from
the very beginning the aim has been
to sell everything at cost. Cost in
America is one thing, however, and
cost in France at the end of a long
ocean journey, another. Prices were
higher than boys have been accuS-
toned to pay in this country They
were higher in remote towns in France
than at the seashore. Everywhere
the "Y." prices were higher than the
quartermaster prices; for the quarter
master buys his goods from the gov
eminent Communicated factories on
this side, is charged with no freight.
and sells in France at the same price
which he paid here. No private or
ganization could possibly meet such
competition. " .....' 49,
Now all competition is removed.
Every organization in France will
have the same policy as to articles
to be given away in the front line
trench and in battles, and every or:
ganization will be provided by the
government with its goods, and will
sell at the same price which it pays
to the government In addition to
what it can buy from the quartermas-
ter. the Y. NJ. c. A. will continue to
buy and import many things from
home which boys want But the
government will, so far as possible,
give necessary cargo space without
cost, thus maing it possible to let
boys have articles at cost
General Pershing in making this
arrangement, took occasion to eX-
press again his appreciation of the
tremendous service which the Y. NJ.
c. A. canteen has rendered to the
American Expeditionary Forces.
Without its help. life would have
been very monotonous indeed in little
French towns where our boys are bill
leted, many of the towns being with
nuf a cinGla cfnra " .... ..... I'D