RETURNING SERVICEMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 July 1943, Page 8

RETURNING SERVICEMEN

I WELCOME AT^WELLINGTON I j WELLINGTON, July 21. i . An assurance that it was the Go-

- 1 vm.nmont's firm desire to give ser- . joicii returning from overseas the - .nost cordial welcome possible was i emphasised by the Prime Minister D (Mr. Fraser) when the House met toi!day. I-1 Replying to a question by Mr. A. S. 11 Sutherland (National, Hauraki), who -•had asked if steps would be taken • i to ensure co-ordination between the Army and the civic authorities with L’ithe object of improving arrangements > for welcoming back to Wellington • I soldiers on furlough from overseas, ; ] Mr. Fraser said he had spent a great l j deal of time with the authorities in connection with the arrangements, I and he had proposed that the men i; should march through the Wellington I streets. However, the Army authorities had said that such a plan would create confusion, and the men themselves had been very grateful that I they had not been asked to march. It (had been pointed out to him, said Mr. Fraser, that the first batch of men {would be an hour waiting on the (wharf before the last man had disemi barked, and there was no place | ashore where they could be fed. i Moreover, it was unreasonable to ask I them to go back to the ship on which I they had been for several weeks, and it ■would have delayed their return to their distant homes by a day. Actually, a good job had been done at the actual disembarkation, and only one kitbag had been left on the ship, |he concluded. He would like the j House to feel that everything possible j had been done to welcome the men, land to make provision for their rela- ! rives. It was a difficult situation.

i j' RAILWAY PASSES I WELLINGTON, July 21. 'i The issue of free railway passes to ’lmembers of the recently-arrived 2nd iN.Z.E.F. furlough draft, and their , j wives, is to be extended to wives of 1 j members of the draft who marry durI ing the furlough period, and also to 'mothers of single or widowed memjbers of the draft, said the Prime Minlister in a statement to-night. I Mr. Fraser said that members of (the draft who married or intended to i marry during their furlough should I make written or personal application ■ I for a combined pass to the nearest i I Army office, or base records. After ( Igi ving the date and place of the marIriage, or pending marriage, and the ' 'full name of his wife or fiancee, a 1 : combined pass would be given, in < place of the single pass held by the ] soldier, and at the same time he • 'would receive an allotment form and ’ •a form of application by his wife or 'future wife for a wife’s allowance. In ! order that the necessary alteration in the payment of allotted pay might |be made, payment of allotted pay i would cease until the completed allotIment form, and the wife’s application jfor the allowance, had been received at Ease Records. A single or widowed - member of the draft requiring a combined pass for himself and his mother would also be required to make written application for the pass, the application also being signed by the mother with her full name and address. These should be made to the nearest Army office or Base Records. Arrangements had been made for all .applications to be dealt with expedij tiously.