SOLDIERS' MAILS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2685, 3 February 1916, Page 6

SOLDIERS' MAILS

RECENT COMPLAINTS

THE MINISTER'S INQUIRIES

The Minister of Defence (the Hon. J. Allen) referred yesterday to the complaints which l'ad recently been given publicity regarding letters addressed to soldiers which had been returned to New Zealand after having failed to find the addressees. "We have heard a good deal lately," said Mr. Allen, "about correspondence addressed to soldiers at the front being returned to New Zealand, although the addressee may be in hospital somewhere. Sometimes the envelope is marked 'Missing,' 'Destination not known,' and so forth. I have been doing what I can to find out what tlie trouble is. I sent a telegram to Lieut.-Colonel R. H. Rhodes, who was sent by the Government to Egypt to look into the Post and Telegraphservices, and to-day I received the following reply: 'We have your telegram of January 14. I find that every precaution has been adopted by the New Zealand Postal Service to prevent irregularly returned correspondence. They only accept official lists of casualties. On receipt of lists of casualties, redirection cards are used, and all correspondence 'Dead or missing' is separately dealt, with by special redirection section. A double check has been instituted by tbe New Zealand Postal Service, but other administrations are occasionally involved, and according to evidence they are not infallible." The Minister added that Lieut.Colonel Rhodes was giving his close attention to tho matter. He had forwarded another telegram to Lieut-Colonel Rhodes, stating that the postal arrangements seemed satisfactory, and asking him to carefully inquire as .to whether the Records Branch was supplying the postal officials with all the necessary information.