CABLES AS TO WOUNDED SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1918, Page 5

CABLES AS TO WOUNDED SOLDIERS.

A NEW SYSTEM ADOPTED. By Telegraph.—'Press Association. Wellington Last Night. In the early days of the war the Eastern Extension Company and the Pacific Cable Board generously offered to transmit three free caMe inquiries and replies on behalf of next-of-kin of all sick and wounded soldier®. As the number of soldiers despatched from Australasia increased in volume, these messages necessarily grew larger, both from Australia and New Zealand, in .addition to the ordinary cable work. The result was that as these W.S.M. messages could not bo transmitted whilst ordinaray cable messages had to be transacted, there Vas much delay after a big offensive. Last month, owing to the ■acute congestion of telegraphic business, the management of the Cables Board and Company was reluctantly obliged to advise that inquiries could only be sent by cable as far as Montreal, aud thence despatched by post to England, the replies 'being transmitted in a similar manner. For over 12 months the Defence Department had a system in force under .which, in addition to the official report of the casualty, full information as to the nature and classification of the disability is telegraphed several days before this official military notifications are received- Wellington is in a position to notify the next-of-kin at any time of the condition of any soldier who hag been reported s ick or wounded, and particulars are immediately telegraphed to the next-of-kin. In order to try and ease the work of the Eastern Extension Company, and the Pacific Cable Board, and, if possible, obtain concessions from them which would be of moro value to the public of New Zealand, the Government has decided that, instead of W.S-M, inquiries being forwarded to London, they will Jje transmitted by the postal authorities to the Base Records, who will despatch the latest information available, and if any regular report is overdue a special cable of inquiry will be sent urgently-to London for the desired information. It is anticipated that, under this system the next-of-kin will receive an even better service than in the past, whilst the congested state of t'he cable system will be considerably Tclieved.