MAILS FOR SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 145084, 8 September 1916, Page 2

MAILS FOR SOLDIERS.

SOME USEFUL INFORMATION. ADDRESS ALWAYS G.P.O. ‘ The Chief Postmaster (Mr. C. H. Burton) has forwarded the following statement for publication:— Many inquiries are being made and much misconception seoms to exist regarding the present arrangements for forwarding mails to soldiers. Tho following is a statement of the position so far as it can be made known publicly Letters and packets for the forces on active service in Prance are forwarded alternately via San Francisco and via Vancouver, and parcels and newspapers for the same forces by direct steamers to London. All classes of inail matter for the units on service in Egypt are forwarded weekly by the steamer leaving Wellington for Sydney. The unite on service in Franco and Egypt respectively are known to the post office in 'Wellington, but this, information cannot’be made public. The post office advertises the time for closing the mails. Tt_ is intended to dispatch via San Francisco and via •Vancouver and by direct steamer, but without mentioning the route. There is a difficulty about ’advertising the dispatch of mails'to Egypt, because many of the public are not aware whether their friends are in France or in Egypt and, while dispatch from Wei- ’ lington is weekly, the‘onward dispatch from Australia is fortnightly. It is not always possible to say whether the steamer leaving Wellington will connect with the outgoing steamer from Australia. The practice of sending on mails from Wellington weekly- ensures their going forward with the least possible delay. . • The object of tho post office m advertising has been to give the public, without misleading them, reasonable ■information as to dispatches. The closing of the mails for the forces in Franco is always notified well ahead, and mails for the forces in Egypt are dispatched so frequently that there should be no inconvenience. The public are strongly advised to continue addressing mail matter tothe care of tho General Post Office, Wellington. When this is done it ensures the matter going forward in closed mails addressed to the officer commanding the Expeditionary Forces in France and Egypt respectively. Many persons have taken to leaving ‘ c/o. G.P.0., Wellington,” out of the address and have substituted England or France. When this occurs the post office has no option but to forward the articles in tho ordinary mads to the countries to which they are addressed.