SOLDIERS' PRIVILEGES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 102, 24 January 1919, Page 5

SOLDIERS' PRIVILEGES

■■ . : ■'-,: : ABUSE ALLEGED; ■• . •i ■■'The JJefence .Department -writes ih&t. it has had to take steps to .protect the returned ispldiers' -privileges .of - four •weeks' free travelling ;by. insisting that ■the ; ; prepa.utions against ■ its use _'by iliose not .entitled .to it .shall .be .sbrictiy '.observed. A? . .a, : result . several soldiers 'who wgre tiwalling' without their; Certificate' of .disc|iaTge ;a.re 'held •up ; in -various-parts \of Npw,:Zealau«l. >'It is," iSays th'e:Department,"'-'a •valu.iible privilege, • but has-lbeeh abused somewhat because the precautions laid Idowa -in the Eeturned Soldiers' .'Handbook, repeated on the warrant, for the ticket, .snd again on the ticket, itself, are ib'eing ■disregarded %y spnie : -m.efc When the privilege ; was first intro.diicecl ; it was .available only during :tbe ■period of leave ■prior to .discharge, sp that -theisoldior imjfrirm' when :tr.avel]ing,' and' there was jlittlo'-'chance of : tho^.ticket.JeingTised iy an upau--thorised person. -.. Now -the , privilege isavailabje for any 29-day v T'ei"iod within tlire.e-.wor/ths of.' the ..soldiers , ;, jetjirn, enabling men vtp spend some time .at.-. thejr. hjpme.s .before .commencing -to •fcwel.v l . ; .'■■ . A ■■.'•"'■■ ■•• :'' '•■'■•■:.•■' ■'■ .

"Tie extension of the perjpd carries it .beyond .thovdate,of ..discharge. ; so -that the'soldier can .trave.l in rnufti ; IRndgr these ,circun)stan< , as pxpsrience .of, .actual "ica^es*'' 'of "ijnpersonation;- 'hna ] 'sjioyrn, ] 'It necessary to '■' strictly enfprcp thecondition printed 1 on 't.ne Vickpt- #jit. the;returned splctisr's .pf:..dis/charge must. 'be. .exhibited to the. gua,rd ,or \ticket-jc<>llectpr when itjcarel-t jir\g, or if :the.soldier has -jipt ;bpeni(dis- i dhai'gedhis'leaVe-wajriint must be cpr! ,ried"and shown. ;officer's ■wjip receive j no certificate of disohsirgejaro reiju.ir.ed ; to produce'their notice of :hayir.|<j been ] ■■struck' .off the strength!.of'the'Esppdi-' .tidiiary, , . JTp.rcei , Records -posts | the .soldier's .discharge' to ; tlie -.address i ie-has jiptified ibefore' the,actual'.date"! o.f discharge "so ;as -to avpid eny-fliffi-;, cnltyin using; the r.ail privilege,;.b.u,tj ' some "jrieii'-S-re ' -evidejitiy-'■•faav«lling; wh'ije 'their -discharges' ;sre ' awaiting, "them'"'at hoiri?.; ; ajid .are making no ,a.r-: ja'ngement? •to "have ■ these vtceiwy j .documents iforwarded on. 1 ■ • JV> try . tp i overcome this .difficulty Base Rpoords : wijl'-in fli-tnre post disohaxpes not less .than. ten.Vdays prior 'to 'the date of j discharge.'-: ; . ■ "•.■•■■' 1 ■'.'.' "As".a result'of representfttjons by: the Defence Department' arrongempTits ! ;havfi'been niade for;f)bn.rftturn .of -iiW j pounded'.tickets, on productinii. ■? ■•■-■- • tifica'te -from the 'Directov of Rn«e ; T?<-- ■ .cords that'the dischnr'iTe.haP .lieen.'pos.t'ed.to the- soldier's "hornt* adflrf>ss; ; ; / -"Arranitemeirts Kave ,slw> b.p.an m»3e. to refund the fare, jvjhich -.mnv have j been charged the .s.olfli"r 'at t l -" *!•".► i his' +'clcet w?s impoujsHed, All Ilie Riipßified conditions will. .li()wever, k* < strictly enforced in future," ■" .. i