NON-DELIVERY OF SOLDIERS' MAILS.

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 153, 29 June 1916, Page 8

NON-DELIVERY OF SOLDIERS' MAILS.

Frequent complaints are made as to the non-delivery of letters and parcels 'for soldiers in Egypt and elsewhere, and the Postmaster-General . has placed a written statement on the matter before the-members of Parliament.

Sir Joseph Ward states that it is fairly well ascertained now that the Tio'stal" service at the front is reasonably efficient. "Mistakes have occurred, and probably will continue to occur," says the. Postmaster-General," and it may be that the honourable member's correspondent is the victim of one of these. But the Department has many assurances of the efficacy of the postal service. : Entirely unsolicited, soldiers have acknowledged to their parents and friends ;in New Zealand their delight and surprise at the way iii which their postal matter has reached them in spite of most ■untoward circumstances. We have the ■■ assurance of Colonel Rhodes, M.P., who .went as a Special Commissioner to the I front to see, among other things, how 'postal matters stood, that a 1 large-pro-portion of the complaints are due to the •carelessness of the soldiers in leaving no traces of their movements behind them. I am not blaming the soldiers for this carelessness. When a man has "been put out of action by being wounded, it is \natural-to believe that he would omit to give particular directions for the for; -warding of- his correspondence. He !,-would suppose that his superiors would Took after that matter for him. But it :is. known that in many instances the .Post Office has had the utmost difficulty ',in keeping trace of soldiers, not only (through their being wounded, but merely 'through their moving in accordance with ;the exigencies of the military situation. i This is the most reasonable thing to i happen over a front extending a good •thousand miles or .more."