PARCELS FOR TROOPS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 9 February 1944, Page 5

PARCELS FOR TROOPS

DIFFICULTY OF DELIVERY INSUFFICIENT AND WRONG ADDRESSES Wellington, This Day. Difficulties that had been experienced in the delivery of Christmas parcel mails to members of the fighting forces overseas through insufficient and inaccurate addressing were referred to yesterday by the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. Webb. He said that many parcels were addressed merely to a number. a name, and “2nd N.Z.E.F. Overseas,” without any indication of the unit or force concerned, and in such cases it was often not possible for the sorters to decide whether the parcels should be sent to the Middle East or the Pacific. Other parcels bore incorrect names or numbers, in some cases both the number and the name being given wrongly. The Minister said he regretted to say that frequently mail-order firms and local committees were the offenders in these respects. In most instances it was possible, after a good deal of research on the part of the Army Base Post Office concerned, to find the correct address, but unfortunately there were some parcels bearing such meagre or inaccurate addresses that delivery could not be effected.

Between 22nd November and 16th December last, the Middle East Post Office alone handled 85 bags of letters, 2476 bags of papers, 251,477 parcels, 68,583 airgraphs, and 39,901 E.F.M.’s. There was, therefore, little time to spare at that period for the correction or completion of addresses on Christmas parcels and consequently, through carelessness on the part of the senders, many parcels were delayed in delivery. Members of the -public would not only save the Army Post Offices much unnecessary work, but would avoid disaopointment to their relatives and friends in the forces by seeing that every parcel dispatched bore the full and correct address of the intended recipient.

Generally speaking, said the Minister, oarcels were received by the Army Post Offices in reasonably good order, senders paying close attention to the necessity for secure and adequate packing, but with the Christmas mails there appeared to be some relaxation from the normal method of packing with unfortunate results. In view of the huge volume of parcels forwarded in Christmas mails, secure packing was more than ever necessary at that time. Every effort was made by the Army Post Office to have damaged parcels repacked and delivered to the correct addresses, but this was not possible in every case, and the work involved absorbed manpower, that could be used more effectively on other postal duties. Therefore, senders of parcels were advised to pack securely and address fully and correctly.