WOMAN'S WORLD

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3105, 8 June 1917, Page 3

WOMAN'S WORLD

, (Continued from page 2.) PARCELS FOB THE FRONT 'MONEY-TO "be sent instead op GIFTS. After smug tho matter very careful consideration, the Auckland Women's Patriotio League has decided to. discontinue sending consignments of gift parcels to the troops at "the front, and to substitute grants of money for cxpendi- ; lure by the officers commanding the various Anckland units. Tho change has pejn • decided upon as the result of a conference last wcelc with a number of returned . officers, who gave the various ' bodies concerned the benefit of their experience of the delivery (or non-delivery) of gift parcels at the front. • Chaplain-rMajor Hawkins stated that the great difficulty, of transport ren- . dered the scheme unworkable. Personally, he saw very few parcels, and he was of opinion that the'arrival 'of parr eels in insufficient numbers only led to dissatisfaction among the men. "Major Graham considered that the scheme often operated unevenly, and . the 1 men who most needed parcels did rot get them. Captain Aldred, who has returned

from Egypt, also emphasised tho, difficulty of transport, und jstatcd that consignments were very often-rifled in "the base camp, and got no further. Major A. 0. Price pointed out that the' Army received preference in the matter . of food, an'tf there was no shortage. In the rear of the firing line there were facilities for purchasing extra provisions and snfall luxuries. Ho added that the con- , tents of a great many parcels were ■■'ivided up and distributed to the troops in England. All the officers mentioned favoured the sending of cash remittances to battalion and other unit commanders for expenditure in comforts for their men. Chaplain-Captain Burgin favoured sending a certain number of parcels, and casli donations as well. The. Women's Patriotic.League intends to dispatch those parcels at present in hand, and thereafter to sehd forward supplies of knitted goods only. These are light, and it is believed that there will be- little difficulty in getting - them to the recipients.