BY POST

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4523, 14 January 1942, Page 8

BY POST

TOBACCO FOR TROOPS NEW PATRIOTIC SERVICE REDUCED PRICES The National Patriotic Fund Board sent word to Te Awamutu that it is inaugurating a postal tobacco scheme as from to-day to enable next-of-kin and friends in New Zealand to send at specially reduced prices popular brands of cigarettes, cigarette tobacco, and pipe tobacco to members of the New Zealand Forces stationed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Fiji and elsewhere overseas, except in the Middle East. It is regretted that at this juncture prisoners of war and the New Zealand Forces in the Middle East cannot be included, but negotiations are proceeding and the Board hopes it may be possible to announce I shortly the extension of the scheme to embrace all members of the New Zealand Forces overseas, irrespective of where they are serving, as well as the New Zealand prisoners of war. The new service owes its origin to steps taken to devise some satisfactory scheme under whiclr it would be possible to ensure supplies of New Zealand cigarettes and tobacco being sent to New Zealanders serving in the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom and also to the members of other units in Britain detached from the main New Zealand Forces. This was a matter which was taken up by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) when he was in Britain, and it has since been possible by negotiation and through the co-operation of the overseas governments to widen the scope of the original plan. SIMPLE PROCEDURE The procedure to be followed by people in the Dominion who wish to take advantage of the scheme is simple. AU they have to do is to fill in a form on which they will give their name and address and the number, name and address of the recipient, indicate by means of a cross in a square alongside the brands of tobacco and cigarettes which may be sent the brand which they desire to have despatched, and pay for the cost of the goods. The New Zealand Retail Tobacconists’ and Hairdressers’ Federation and the Master Grocers’ Association are co-operating with the National Patriotic Fund Board in the operation of the service, and the special order form may be obtained at authorised tobacconists’ and other stores. The form is so perforated and so devised that sections may be detached to give the sender a receipt when he places his order, and also so that he may be advised when his parcel has been sent, and to enable the National Patriotic Fund Board to keep a complete record of the whole transaction. The advice slip sent by the National Patriotic Fund Board ,when the parcel has been despatched will have stamped on it a serial number which will also have stamped on the section of the form serving as the label for the package and on which the sender, when he ordered the goods, will fipve written the number, name, and address of the soldier, sailor, or airman recipient. The object of the double stamping of the serial number is to enable the purchaser, when writing to the addressee advising him of the despatch of the parcel, to quote the number. Remittances, together with the orders taken, are to be forwarded by the tobacconists to the National Patriotic Fund Board in Wellington at least weekly. BRANDS AND PRICES It has'not been found possible at this stage to include in the scheme all brands of tobacco and cigarettes obtainable on the New Zealand market, but 21 brands are offered (six of cigarettes, eight of cigarette tobacco, and seven of pipe tobacco), and these have been selected after discussion with representatives of the tobacconists’ organisation. No order will be accepted for less than 200 cigarettes or one pound of tobacco, and purchasers will not be able to make up this amount by selecting part of one brand and part of another. When more than one brand is required, a separate order for each brand must be placed.

The Government has made arrangements for the National Patriotic Fund Board to be supplied with stocks out of bond, and this enables the Board to offer the cigarettes and tobacco at greatly reduced prices. For example, including Is for postage and 9d for the cost of a tin for packing, 1 lb of any of six brands of cigarette tobacco together with eight packets of cigarette papers may be sent under the scheme for Ils. For a similar quantity of any of the same brands of cigarettes and papers bought in the ordinary way, plus Is for postage, and 9d for the packing tin, the cost would be approximately 20s. Thus there is a saving of 9s. Similarly, the cost of sending cigarettes and pipe tobacco is also substantially less under the new postal service, the savings being approximately 5s on 200 cigarettes and 9s on Ilb of pipe tobacco. CUSTOMS DUTY CONCESSION The parcels of cigarettes and tobacco are to be admitted duty free to the countries to which they may be sent under the scheme, and it is important that the privilege that has been extended in this respect should not be abused. To ensure that this will be observed, the date of despatch of every parcel will be recorded, and if it is found that one man is receiving more than he could reasonably smoke each month, the next-of-kin or sender will be advised accordingly. A note will be included in each parcel which will advise the recipient that the Customs duty concession has been granted on the distinct understanding that none of the cigarettes or tobacco will be used for trade. The message will also add to the compliments of the sender the best wishes and thanks of the people of New Zealand. A special room for the packing, recording and despatch of the parcels has been established by the National Patriotic Fund Board in its premises in Wellington. The packing will be done by members of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary.