GIFT PARCELS

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3663, 3 February 1940, Page 3

GIFT PARCELS

TROOPS OVERSEAS PATRIOTIC ROARD'S PLAN A report by a special committee set up to go into the question of sending gift parcels to the New Zealand soldiers overseas was adopted at the last meeting of the National Patriotic Fund Roard in Wellington, over which his Excellency the Governor-General, Lord Galway, presided. It is proposed to issufe instructions to the next-of-kin of all men who enlist, setting out the best way to pack parcels, suggestions as to their contents, and other general information. Under the board's plan all addressed parcels forwarded by individuals to individual members of the Expeditionary Force are to be sent through the post office in the

normal way, that is, postage is to be paid. The present reduced cosff of parcels is 1/6 for 31b, rising to 3/- for 71b, the maximum weight accepted by the post office. Inquiries have been made to see whether the present rates can be further reduced, and the Post Office authorities are awaiting replies from overseas countries. All the Provincial Patriotic Councils are to be requested to arrange in all towns in, their districts some means to enable local people to have tins hermetically sealed, the average householder having no convenient means of soldering.

The instructions it is intended to issue to the next-of-kin concerning packing of parcels, etc., are to be in pamphlet form. It is felt that it these instructions are issued and the individual packing carried out, the system of bags used by the Post Office for dispatch overseas is preferable to the use of cases.