LETTERS TO SOLDIERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16538, 14 May 1917, Page 6

LETTERS TO SOLDIERS.

WORK BY ARMY POSTAL SERVICE. As interesting report as to how soldiers' letters are handled has been received by the Hon, Sir James Allen, Acting-Prime Minister an! Minister for Defence, frora , Major Holdsworth, director of Army Postal Sen-ices, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, London. Writing under . date February 9, Major Holdsworth says the work in connection with the Department is continuing, to run smoothly. "The first lot of Christmas parcels arrived on December I, and the second lot on December 14. The staff put in excellent work,' and practically the- whole of the first lot was m France by Christmas Day, and tho second 161,-684 boxes, was completed and forwarded bv January 4, There were 50,000 parcels 'dealt with during December, and 70,600 in January. It has been found impossible to check each newspaper' with tho cards, so newspapers aresent out as they are addressed. Any that cannot bo delivered are supposed to be returned, but, as a matter of fact, comparatively few newspapers aro returned,; the difficulties of transport being . very considerable. It is customary in most units to distribute the papers addressed to those men who are not with their unit amongst those who are there. I have spoken to a number of officers and men and have not yet met an objector;to the practice. Some idea of the amount of mail matter handled may be gathered from tho following figures for .December:—Postings to New Zealand, letters,'- 1 392,600 j, 5 registered letters dealt ..with,' 4524 j bags received from all sources, 3623; number : of : letters received from New Zealand, 640,000; number of letter packets, received from New Zealand. 18,400 j number of bags despatched, 4460; number iof i parcel.* despatched - from - Base Post .; Office, -.46,656;' parcels, for deceased and (missing; men opened : and : distributed to: units at the front, . 1659; redirection noted, 30,000; correspondence . received and answered, 4509."