AM THEY STOLEN?

Evening Star, Issue 15928, 7 October 1915, Page 8

AM THEY STOLEN?

PARCELS THAT GO ASTRAY, INTENDED' EOR SOLDIERS AT THE ERONT. [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, October 7. . ■‘•he non-arrival of parcels intended, for the front was again referred to bv tho Hon. George Jones in the Legislative council yesterday afternoon. Mr Jones said it had been stated on good authority —tfie authority of returned soldiers, indeed—that parcels intended for the men had never reached them, and that they ware really _ being misappropriated by others at Cairo who were not entitled to them. People would be sending large numbers of Christmas parcels by the next transports for the boys at the front, and he suggested that the Government should cable to-some reliable person at Cairo for that was where the trouble occurred asking him to see that parcels sent'by the steamers were transferred to the vessels which took the men to Gallipoli. Whether the statements made were true or not, it seemed to him that some supervision of such large numbers of parcels should he instituted, not only in regard to those leaving on the next transports, but in regard to all parcels. It might, indeed be wise to have a detective on the spot to discover whether these parcels were being misappropriated. cSAi" Fr “ cis Y »" Mr Jones: If we have Colonel Rhodes, a hat is ,to prevent the Government sending him a cable asking him to see that these parcels reach their destination’ Sir F. Bell said that a good deal of interest was being taken in the matter, and Colonel Rhodes had gone to Ewypt to -see that the parcels reached their donation Personally he thought there would be less trouble if the parcels were sent through the Mayor. It was quite possible however, for a ship to stop at Egypt, an d then go on to Gallipoli with parcels intended for tne fade etnd wounded in Ecrvpfc. He thought that parcels now addressed from her© for soldiers at Anzac would reach their destination. “In some cases,” * 10a ~ ded > ‘ fc P e soldiers have returned, and the question of whether tho parcels would bo returned was settled on the spot.