MONEY FOR SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3144, 24 July 1917, Page 6

MONEY FOR SOLDIERS

' REMITTANCES TO ENGLAND

THE POSITION EXPLAINED

; There are doubtless many ecldiers in England on leave from France who woni der why their 'cabled', requests for money • from their people in Now Zealand aro not responded to with that alacrity ; ■.. .wMch ttiey desire. That such doubts, coupled with the consequent lncoivenience entailed, must exist was adduced by inquiries made at the Dank of Now Zealand yesterday' by a member of The Dominion staff, who, on visiting to cable" money 'to a soldier who was on ten days'; leavo in London from the trenches France, was asked whether lie wished to send it at E.F.M. (Expedi- * tionary Force message) rates or "urgent." On inquiring what was the difference, he was surprised to learn that money sent E.F.M. through the bank was not likely to reacli London for- about i-m days, whereas "urgent" messages were forwarded at once. This was '.lews ini'eed, as it meant that a soldier who was ou leave for ten days in London stood a poor chance of receiving, the money before it was time for him to return to liis unit in France. It is assumed that other. .people. were ,i hardly -ognisant of .'.the delay which .occurred with ou'inary messages, and that the soldiers whom ' they'-wished to oblige must be flaced in a rather sorry position. The difference in the rates is a very marked one. An E.F.M. message cabling, say, .£lO, may be sent to England through the Lank for' between Bs. and 95., but an urgent message costs at least three times that amount. N .As the matter appeared to be an important one, further inquiries were mode, " which disclosed tho fact that the ciiblo was so congested that ordinary joldiers' money cablegrams had to await their chance of being sent forward, whereas v "urgents" were pushed-throngh immediately. This congestion has iow existed for some months, so that those people ■ who have received advice from Home complaining of the • non-arrival of moneys cabled for will now understand the why and wherefore of tho delay. The Postal Department was also approached respecting the matter, and with : its usual promptitude went right i'lto the question of cabled remittances to soldiers ir, England, and Jias furnished the following report, which will be read with interest by all.who have soldier-relatives . or f'ipnds likely to be affected:— -'There are three ways by which soldiers in England on leave are obtaining remittances from New Zealand. ' "(1) Through the ba.nks. This channel provides fo» payment to the bank lij the person desiring to send the remittance to the folclier of tho amount to be remitted: If £Kis amount does not exceed ;£lO, the bank makes no charges for its -services, but collects tl.e value ■ of the message, which it is necessary to send at E.F.M. rates. These rates, specially fixed for communications to members of the Expeditionary Forces, are levied, at Bd. per word. Euch n:cssag'ps; on account of the great congestion on the cables which are working night and day, can only be sent when opportunity affords, and it is estimated that the average delay in their, transmission is, approximately, ten days. . When remitting through a bank, if it is desired that the money should reach London . promptly." full'rates should be paid for transmission of tho necessary teletraph , message. These rates are' 2s. Sdi per word. "(2) The second method is through the ■:. medium of the Defence Hepartm?nt. The amount to be remitted is either paid in cash in AVellington or it may . be paid to Public Account nt the Bank . of New Zealand, or remitted by moneyorder from any other centre. If paid to Public Account the ■ Rank receipt should be attached to ' the . request for remittance. Upon the receipt by tho Defence Department of a requast that money should be remitted to a stldier, accompanied by the necessary reirittnnoe or bank receipt and the soldier's nnine, number and deserintion, a telegram is pent to the High Commissioner in London to arrange payment. This telegram, which is sent daily, and r<v, Ir.ins all the requests received during the day, ■ goes forward as a Government -l-essage. takes precedence over other messages', and is not subjected to any delav. The method' of remitting thre-ush the Defence Department.arid the High' Commissioner is. .therefore,: under the present circumstances, the best for the public to adopt. A uniform charge <f 10s. is made by the Defence Department for each remittance. ' . "(3) The third method concprn? these soldiers who have Savings liahk accounts, and who apply to the High Commissioner in London to .withdraw jnoney. The High Commissioner telegraphs to * New Zealand particulars of their requests. The money is immetlisitelv withdrawn from their Savings Bank accounts on the authority of his telegram, as it is. known that he has ni*nns of identifying-the applicants. It is paid to Public Account in Welliniton, and the' nmount. or amounts," included in tho daily teleirram of the. Defence Department senfc to' the Fijrh Commissioner who, upon receipt of. the iiiithoritv to Jifl.v, pays over the money and obrr.ins tj;e necessary acquittance'from tfm polri'er 'nn-behalf of tho Ssm'nra Ba«k ; .-The chnree to the soldier is based on the jironoi f-ion of the -cost of the mc-s*i,< es exchanged. ■