RETURNED MEN.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 January 1919, Page 3

RETURNED MEN.

FREE TRAVELLING PRIVILEGES, j PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ABUSES. ' ACTION OF DEFENCE DEPART- ! : MENT. | ..... . .nnnrntnnT 1 i

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WELLINGTON, January 23. j The Defence Department has h a d io take slops to protect tno returned soldiers’ privileges of four weeks’ free travelling bv insisting that the preenntians against is use, by those not entitled to it shall be strictly observed. As a result, several soldiers, who wer t; travelling without tlleir certificates of discharge are held up in various parts of New Zealand. The ticket is a valuable privilege, but has been "abused, somewhat, because the precautions laid down in the returned soldiers handbood, repeated on the warrant for the ticket and again on the ticket itself, aro being disregarded by some men When the privilege was first- introduced, it was availalbc only during the period of f leave prior to discharge so that a soldier was in uniform when travelling, and there was little chance of the ticket being used by unauthorised persons. Now the privlege is available for any 28 days period within three months of tig. soldiers’ return, thus enabling the men to spend som 0 time at their homes before commencing travel. The extension period carries it beyond the date of discharge, so that a' soldier can travel in mufti. Under these circumstances, as the -experience of actual cases of impersonation has shown, the Defence Department fiuds it necessary strictly to enforce conditions printed on the ticket, that a returned soldiers’ ticket of discharge must he exhibited to the „u»rd or ticket collector, when travelling. or, if a soldier hah not been discharged his leave warrant must be carried and shown. Officers who receive no certificate of discharge are required. t° produce their notice of having been struck off the strength of the Expeditionary Force. Base Records posts a soldier’s discharge to the address he has notified before the actual date of discharge, so as to avoid any difficulty in using the rail privilege, but some men are evidently travelling while their discharges are awaitipg them at home and are mnlqng no arrangement to have these necessary documents foiwarded oil. To try and overcome this difficult, Base Records will > ll f'U'iN-’ nost discharges not less than ten day s

prior tlio date of discharge. As the result of representations made

by the Defence Department arrangehave been made for the return of impounded tickets on the production of a certificate from the Director of Base Records that a discharge has been posted to soldiers’ home address. Arrangements havo also been made to refund any fare which may have been charged the soldier at the time his ticket was impounded. AH specified conditions, will liOMfver, be strictly enforced by Base Records.