§ MR. MARKHAMI beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Colonel of the 3rd West Riding Regiment, in September, 1901, gave orders that a dry canteen should be established at Victoria West Road, because of the rates for provisions charged to soldiers by the only store keeper in that district, one Shaw, and that a dry canteen was established, when provisions were sold to the soldiers at prices 200 per cent. less than charged by Shaw; that shortly afterwards the Commandant of Victoria West Road received a telegram from a Mr. Logan, a Member of the Cape Legislative Council, claiming damages at the rate of £500 per month by reason of such store having been opened on his land; whether Mr. Logan has any contract with His Majesty's Government for provisions for the troops; and if he will ascertain if the store at Victoria West Road was in point of fact the property of Mr. Logan.
LORD STANLEYI have no information on this matter, but it is believed that Mr. Logan has secured from the Cape Government a monopoly of the supply of refreshments at all railway stations in Cape Colony.