SOLDIERS' NEXT-OF-KIN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 157, 28 March 1919, Page 7

SOLDIERS' NEXT-OF-KIN

RECEPTION ARRANGEMENTS. Thousands of Now Zealanders are waiting .the welcome notification torn Base Records that their soldier relative is on his way to. New Zealand. Therefore, they will lie interested to know how the Defence Department deals with the next-of-kin of returning drafts. About fourteen days before a ship is dn® to arrive. Base .Records sends out to the liext-of-kill of each man aboard. a notification that cabled advice of the soldier's return has been received, that he is on a. boat named, and the probable date of arrival is mentioned. The recipient is fu'vispd to watch, the newspapers for any alteration in the arrival date. It will lie fen from this that next-of-kin should carefully maintain at Base Records their correct address. The authorities do not object to noting even brief changes from the usual address, so long as liev knew that they can reach the soldier's relatives ntiLcklv with the publication.

As the soldier is sent to his home address as quickly as possible after disembarkation, his next-of-kin are advised tri await him at home, and they will receive' a teleirram immediately the Shin arrives, ment : onir>g the time at which the soldier should rench home. Wlmn next-of-kin travel to' the port of disembarkation they often have to'put up with the disappointment of not h"ing able to travol back with their soldi n r relative, as the swiil tm ! Ji.« must bo reserved for the soldiers. Thnnirh the.Defence Department does not e»"ourage next-of-kin tn visit thp nnrf, nf 'li~pnibnr]cat : nii. t.h"v afford sneeial facilities, "n the wharf for the soldier's'T'Olativps, Next-of-kin nnsses are obtainable bv bona-fide next-of-kin at the Defenco Ifpnd'iuarters of the dietrict whei'p the sob'ip" will disembark, excent in the case of Wellington, where the issue of the* tM'el" is mnd» from Cip inr.ro nnnvenieTitly sitrntc' office of Base RpcnrHs .at the back of, Government Building.

If an invalid soldio" is cufficipntlr wp'l to be rrranter 1 a week's'.leave h» is all"ived to po home for that period. mid + 1, "li fpnorfc f"r tr<v>fni"nt .at a Ir here' this cannot l« f'/jno; and the snlfli»r has to eo -strai=rht Wo hospital, his "•ife and pin-mits arp ®ntitl<»d. ur>on i"" .application to Tiase Records. Wellington. tc recoivp free return riil-rnv var'-ants to visit "-ho nntient in ho«vital. Tf wi'lier has no wif» or 0"" '" ;| i-»v warrant is available to his next-of-kin.