PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1940, Page 2

PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS

Advice from post office.. With the approach of the Christmas season and the consequent heavy increase in postings of correspondence and parcels for the New Zealand. Expeditionary Forces overseas, the attention of the public is once again directed to the necessity for ensuring that parcels are strongly and securely packed and that a clear indication of the number of the Echelon is included in the address. Advice received from the Base Post Office, Egypt, discloses that, on the whole, parcels are being. re-? ceived in good condition, but unfortunately some people still think that an outer wrapping of flimsy brown paper and thin twine will ensure safe delivery. Such parcels, if they do not collapse altogether, arrive in a damaged condition, often with the address missing, and the net result is a waste of time and money by the sender and disappointment to the intended soldier recipient. To properly safeguard the contents, parcels should be wrapped in linen, calico, canvas or other strong material securely sewn up; while anything likely to become soft or sticky, such as chocolates, sweets and perishable articles generally, should be packed -in tins with the lids securely soldered on. The name and address of the soldier should be printed in block letters on the actual wrapping, as labels are likely to become defaced or detached in transit. Furthermore, a slip should be placed inside the parcel showing, in addition to the name of the sender, the name and address of the addressee. Attention to this point will ensure that, even if the cover of a parcel is damaged, delivery will still be effected. In despatching newspapers overseas the, can assist the Post Office and conserve valuable shipping space by sending only such portions of the papers as they consider will be of interest to the addressee. A practical way of forwarding papers is to make use of them in packing the contents of parcels. An important point‘to remember in making up parcels for the First Echelon in Egypt is not to include tobacco or cigarettes. The forwarding of tobacco and cigarettes is not prohibited, but the addressees are called upon to pay high rates of duty on these articles, and for this reason it is better not to include them. Parcels for Egypt and England, delivery of which is desired at Christmas time, should be posted approximately two months before Christmas, that is to say, not later than during the last week in October. In existing , circumstances the Post Office cannot guarantee that parcels posted on a certain date will be delivered on the due date, so it is essential that Parcels for delivery at Christmas be posted early. TOBACCO FOR TROOPS. WELLINGTON, September 19. After the dispatch of Christmas gift parcels for men of the New Zealand fighting forces overseas under the National Patriotic Fund Board;s unaddressed gift parcels scheme, it has been decided by the board to institute a new system- of sending tobacco and cigarettes, which should assist in ensuring that the individual tastes of the men will be more nearly met. ~ , The board decided at a meeting today to obtain from canteens at the training camps in New Zealand particulars showing the popularity o± various brands of tobacco and cigaiettes with the men in the camps, and then to buy in accordance with the preference shown by the information from the canteens and send cigarettes and tobacco overseas in bulk. Purchasing will be done by the National Patriotic Fund Board, and the piovincial councils will be asked to provide the necessary funds. The decision was made by the board on a recommendation from the conference of provincial council secretaries, which sat at Wellington last week.