GIFTS FOR SOLDIERS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16675, 22 April 1916, Page 8

GIFTS FOR SOLDIERS.

LETTER FROM COLONEL RHODES. , Tho Postmaster-general has received from f Lieutenant-colonel R. Heaton Rhodes the j following letter:—"Last month there 1 arrived at tho Gifts' Store, Now Zealand Base Depot. Cairo, some 200 small parcels addressed to members of various units of our forces, and forwarded in 25 covers addressed 'LieUt.-colonel Hoaton Rhodes, Base Records Office, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, Egypt.' As no letter accompanied these parcels, and aa the names of the senders were not given, except in a few cases whero the sender was a lodge, I would ask you, if you are in a position to do so, to let the senders know that tho par- ■ eels were sorted and forwarded in bulk to the officers commanding the different units, whose receipts are held by our officer in charge of gifts. It may, of conrsc, have < happened that the names and addresses of c the senders were found in tho parcels them- , selves, in which case acknowledgment will , no doubt be mad? by addressees. The 1 lead seals on tho covers addressed to me were impressed on one side 'Dunedin,' and on the other 'lI.M. Customs, Dunedin,' and according to tho stamp of the office of posting (Dunedin), tho date of despatch was November 8. Though I have every reason to believe that these parcels have been received by the addressees, this method of forwarding parcels to individuals should be discouraged. With that- object in view I despatched on the 4th inst. a cablegram to the Minister of Defence as follows:—'Many eases arriving addressed to particular unite e .but containing packages addressed to members of other units. These packages usually remain with units to whom addressed, r causing addressees complain gifts not received. Responsibility for non-delivery must rest with senders. Packages to unite should bo despatched in bulk, but all packages to individuals should be sent through n post. Matter of great importance.' M P.