GIFT PARCELS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24127, 20 November 1941, Page 12

GIFT PARCELS

BAN ON APPEALS REGULATIONS CRITICISED DRAWBACKS OF BULK PLAN Advantages in sending addressed parcels to troops abroad over the official system of unaddressed parcels are stressed by the Mayor of Te Ivuiti, Mr. H. T. Morton, in a letter to the Herald commenting on the warning by the Auckland Provincial Patriotic Council that appeals to the public for funds for sending addressed parcels are breaches of the Patriotic Regulations. Mr. Morton urges that the regulations be altered to allow a continuance of these activities. "It is stated that during the past year the council has forwarded 34,000 unaddressed gift parcels of an estimated value of £IB,OOO with the object of ensuring that each member of the armed forces, irrespective of his place of enlistment, receives a parcel," the letter says. "In addition to this generous allocation, it is very true that a large number of parcels have been addressed and sent to individual soldiers. These parcels have been sent by local organisations of women workers. Pilfering Alleged "It is unfortunately true that a very large percentage of the unaddressed bulk parcels have never reached the overseas forces at all. This is partly due to enemy action and partly to a large amount of pilfering which has taken place after the parcels have left the districts from which they were sent, "Fortunately the very opposite has happened to the individually addressed parcels. As far as can ho ascertained, practically all parcels addressed to overseas soldiers and posted through the post office have reached the addressees. Our local organisation of ladies has received scores of letters from soldiers expressing the greatest possible appreciation of these parcels. "One letter stated that the writer had been issued with a bulk parcel, and all that it contained was a writing pad and pencil. All the rest of the parcel had Been pilfered. The individually addressed parcels seem to have met with a much better fate, probably because they are the direct responsibility of the postal officials. Contrary to Men's Wishes "In my opinion, it is a retrograde step and directly contrary to the wishes of the men serving overseas if this splendid local patriotic service must now cease," Mr. Morton concludes. "It is no uncommon sight to see in Te Kuiti the patriotic shop of the ladies' committee with 200 individually addressed parcels ready to be despatched through the post office, each parcel containing what the men have so often asked for and most require. I sincerely trust this matter will be brought before the authorities, and that the regulations will be altered accordingly." Criticism of the hulk parcels is also made by a soldier writing from the Middle East. "Every week we have 50 cigarettes free, but this week there were no cigarettes, but we could buy New Zealand tobacco," he writes. "We read in the papers that the Patriotic Board has sent £38,000 worth of tobacco. We have not had one tin of it, unless it was what we paid for." The writer claims that "dodgers get the pick of the patriotic parcels. He knows a cook who gets all the gift tobacco he wants by making tea for certain people. "The trouble is the people in New Zealand give money to this fund, but the great majority of the men get absolutely no benefits from it," the writer adds. "The stuff is sent from New Zealand all right, but what happens to it afterward?"