GIFTS FOR TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2633, 2 December 1915, Page 9

GIFTS FOR TROOPS

HOW THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED

COLONEL CHAPTERS' REPORT

An interesting report on the distribution of gifts of goods and money for the troops at the front has been received by tho Defence Minister from Lieut.Colonel A. B. Charters, commanding tho Now Zealand Base at Alexandria. Following is the text of the report:— I am pleased to report that the gift goods have been arriving regularly and are being distribated as far as possible in accordance with instructions.

Tho two lots of Wanganui jam have Arrived, and have been distributed to the two New Zealand hospitals and to Lady Godley's Home; but, unfortunately, all tho home-made jam went bad coming through the tropics, and had to be thrown awav, while,' in addition, a great number of tlm glass jars containing jam were broken in transit, and a great deal of fine jam lost. I would suggest that in future alljam should ho sent in tins (say 71b. tins), us it carries better and keeps better. The jam is very acceptable, as English jam is expensive, while the local jam is very poor. The Red Cross goods are divided between the two New Zealand hospitals, unless specially addressed 1 otherwise. Tho medical officers at No. 1 Stationary assure me that the contents of the bales sent are most useful.

The gifts from the Lady Liverpool Fund, have been distributed also as far as possible in. accordanco with instructions, but, as I have explained to the president of the fund, it is quite impossible to ensure that goods addressed, say, 4th Reinforcements, actually reach those men, seeing that the Reinforcements are embodied in tho Main Force immediately they arrived; they are, however, 6ent over with tile other goods, and doubtless the O.C.' units do thenbest to distribute.

Gifts addressed to particular units are held until there is an officer of that same unit embarking overseas; he signs for his unit's gifts and takes proper precautions for safeguarding them. There has been consistent thieving on transports between here and Anzac, and experience lias shown us that the only sale method of dispatching gifts is to hand to, say, a Canterbury infantry officer, gifts for Canterbury infantrymen, and so on. This occasionally entails a little delay, but my experience has taught me that the delay is worth while. The last received cases of gifts were sent in charge of Brigadier-General ltussell, who, being O.C.,troops on board the transport, was able to placo the cases in a lock-up room. We take every precaution in placing goods-on board the ships, sending nothing except in charge of an officer, and taking his signature for everything sent. More than this we cannot do, and I think the system has worked very .well. ,The gifts of money, as, for instance, that cabled on September 8,- are divided as far as possible equally between Cairo and Alexandria. Will you please convoy to the donors—Natives ana others, Tokomaru Bay, Chetwodo School girls (whose £lo*was immediately made available for No. 1 New Zealand Hospital), Miss Barnicoat, Petono, Te Awamutu Defence Committee, Nelson Empire Defence Committee, Heefton Patriotic Committee, Vacuum Oil Company, Wellington, the Ngatipourous—our sincere thanks on behalf of the lads on whom the money is spent. I think they may rest assured that it is expended to the best advantage. In conclusion, I should add that sufficient comforts from those ex Maheno and Willochra, for every man at the front, were dispatched as early as pos-' sible; and all men 01V detachment in Egypt (at base, with transport, etc.), were also supplied, the balance being that which would have gone to the killed and missing, being retained in store as a- reserve against winter. No gifts were sent over during August, as owing to the heavy fighting and casualties no unit would have had an opportunity ol 'distributing, and great waste would hava ensued. '