LIFE ON TROOPSHIPS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15137, 28 November 1914, Page 4

LIFE ON TROOPSHIPS.

>-OYEL PAPER MONEY,

Further news of the New Zealand expeditionary Force has born gathered rom letters written by members of tho orco to friends in Auckland (says the Herald"'*. One man states that letters iddrossed t~> New Zealand are not subject to censorship, but orders have been ;iven that information may not bo communicated regarding the convoy guardin'.: the squadron. Letters addressed Lo"other countries than tho Dominion by members of the force have to bo submitted to the censors before they ■re mailed. An announcement. Iws been made that no mail inatwr will be delivered to the force until the destination of the voyage i; reached. An unfortunate accident has been suffered by Lieut.-Colonel F. C. Batehe[or. hi Duuedin, who is included in tlio Field Ambulance as X-ray expert. Ho fell down a stairway and received a bad shaking, in addition to which tlio fall caused the fracture of a rib. "One of the most popular oilicer.s on the ship Ls Colonel liatcholoiv' ono of the troopers declares. "H:s kindly interest in everyone, no matter how trivial the complaint, lias made the men swear by him. -, Ships' newspapers have been established on several of tin , transports. One of \hcm is edited by Surgeon-Captain G. Howe, of New Plymouth, assisted by a committee comprising: representatives of each regiment, and whose duty is to extract from anyone -v itli a journalistic disposition anything that, niiglvf bo of interest to those on board. A selection is made from those contributions for publication. The paper U composed of throe sheets of ioolscai> ; neatly typewritten, and is sold ab the sum 'of 'i'.s for the whole voyage. Th<: cost of materia! was about £8 }os. and any profit is to be equally dividec anions tho various regimental iunds Aireadv i:22 IHa has been subscribed A ivcok'y paper is 'bohv published or ono of the other ships, under the titl< of "''The Tatleiv , ihe editorial eonlro having been undertaken by Chaplaiu Major W. Grant, 'ihe lirst issue was read in the main deck M uarters, anc created a very favourable impression Daily bulletins of war news aro re ci'ived by -wireless, and posted on caol sHr> of the fleet, but the men hnvo '•10-t tnir-k' , of the war, owing to tho lack of daily newspapers. A novel system of payim; tho men has been adopted, apoarentlv io avoid tV>o difficulty of a small supply of coined money. An announcement ba« been made thai- diirinc tbo voynao only Iβ nor <lav will bu viii'l. rho oihtM- Is being al'owed to pcr-uniii'ntc to a lump sum, which will be r>a ; d on arrival afc tlio destination of the force. Tho iirst pay wa< made at the <wl of three weeks, and each man re'-eived a Trpasury not© i'nr :Cl. in London, by the New Zealand H'trh Co'»n<issioncr, and endorsed ,: no«otiablf>" by ,tho ship's paymasier. Tho note itseif is very simple, and bears tl'o signatures of the Secretary for the Nf\v Zcn'nud Treasun,-, and of another ofiidal. Tho notes may bo for canteen courems, each of which is capable of ten Gd purchases, and as no chnnge is given by tho cauleens, aiiv odd pan"c aro made ui> by boxes of matches or similnr __ articles. Any coutiouiv not will be redeemed three days before the end of the voynce. There is aorarently coin in circulation on some of the fillips, as one trooper states that on his transport tho original note is cashed by.the issue of 5s in silver, a and another pay -warrant for lus. In a third instance,' the nay was made in the form of *ds i" s :, vor and a warrant for the balance. th<> decision o! the authoririos to nlnc« the mc on li.'jlfnay durincr the voyage was :ifc firsfc criticised, tho men now armrcHafe tho Wisdom of the arra't/re'iien*. tbo. canteen is tho only o"nn'io' o? exponrlituro, n'ld mnn wiU 'h» ;>l>'o to anti-innlc value of his "savings" ni ti'.e end of the voyage. Gniiil)'iiT! and o;<rnr<-.Ho-' : " , o 1 -'sncr nrc both and t>l Trons : 11 rv notes bsivo TT-nyt-d an ol'ook fioninst- imlijl'mnre in former A Tf-ord is kept of wu , ' , note isstied. ond t'-'crc was some t-'-nniflflt'on jitr>o"C tho orif'ii'ii! ovvne'-K of five ik"<ps. wVicl were ji" n'-osont'""! by n inomlicr of 1 he cren-. On tJi.nfr .sl>i» <'«»>■(■ lias been c sudden end of jrainblini;.