COMMUNICATION WITH BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 24237, 21 September 1940, Page 11

COMMUNICATION WITH BRITAIN

To The. Editor

Sir, —There must be thousands of persons like myself who have relations in England and whose only method of getting news of them is by the steamer service of mails. Letters take eight or nine weeks to reach New Zealand, and it is poor comfort to learn in September that the old folk were all right at the time of writing, July 9. I venture to suggest a way in which we can keep in closer touch with our dear ones at Home. I should like other readers of your paper to help take up the matter. My suggestion is that the cable companies be approached with a view to supplying a week-end cable service (reply paid if sent within 24 hours of receipt) at a flat rate of 5/- to us, the people at Home to pay 2/6. In such a way we should have up-to-the-minute news of our people at Home, thereby relieving us of a lot of anxieties, and our messages would help them in the terrible times they are now going through. . If all the countries oi the Empire could participate in such a service, it would help the morale of those in the front line.” The cable companies could easily adopt a few standard messages, as is done with Christmas greeting telegrams, and though profits might be small 1 venture to say that the business offering would cover the cost. —Yours, etc., A MOTHER’S SON. September 20, 1940.