§ EARL GREYasked His Majesty's Government if it was quite clear that under the new rules for the management of refreshment branches of regimental institutes, 1903, every regimental commanding officer had the power to apply the co-operative principle to the management of his regimental canteen.
§ THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (The Earl of HARDWICKE)I can assure the noble Lord 1169 that when the regulations were framed the intention of the Secretary of State and of the Commander-in-Chief was that the attention of general officers commanding should be called to the subject; but it was never contemplated that officers in command of regiments would be refused permission to manage their regimental canteens in the way they thought most suitable. Until the noble Earl suggested the doubt, none of the military authorities were aware that it was possible to entertain such a doubt. The tendency of the regulations is to give large authority to the general officers commanding, but also to allow officers commanding regiments to conduct their canteens in the way they consider best.