INDULGENCE PASSAGES FOR SOLDIERS' WIVES.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 January 1919, Page 7

INDULGENCE PASSAGES FOR SOLDIERS' WIVES.

A. LIMITED PRIVILEGE. Wellington, Jan. 11. The position in regard to indulgence passages granted on Bliips returning to New Zealand from the Old Country is evidently not thoroughly understood in the Dominion, the result being that a heavy demand has set in for free passages for relatives of soldiers who wish to visit Prance, or to return from England to the Dominion.

_ Thsre are hundreds of people who believe that indulgence passages are obtainable, but this is not the case. The privilege is necessarily limited, and iB going to cost the country a large sum, as all British overseas shipping is under the control of the Admiralty (Ministry of Shipping) to whom the New Zealand Government pays a per capita rate for all persons carried. Indulgence passages are only granted in the following cases:— ; (a) Free passages to wives of deceased soldiers, are provided by the Government, such being arranged by the New Zealand authorities in England or Egypt. (b) Assisted passages where soldiers have married abroad since proceeding oij active service, or if married previously and the wives reached the United Kingdom or Egypt up to 31st December, 1917. Theß# passages are provided by the Defence and Immigration Departments and are arranged by the New Zealand authorities overseas, but are subject to accommodation j requirements in connection with the demobilisation of the Expeditionary Force. Where owing to return by hospital ship or for any ! reason, a New Zealand soldier has has to leave his wife behind, she should make application for her subsequent assisted passage to the Dominion direct to the High Commissioner's office. The rates for assisted passages are as follows: From From United Kingd'm Egypt £ ,£

Third class — Government contribution 16 10 Balance payable by soldier 7 5 First & second class— Government contribution 20 10 Balance payable by , officer or sergeant according to class 29 21 or or 12 9 For children between three and twelve years of age half the contributions are made, according to class - SOLDIERS' FIANCEES The Defence Department does not assist in respect to passages to the Dominion for New Zealand soldiers' fiancees, but the Immigration Department will do so as far as practicable. Applications in this connection should be made to the Chief Immigration Officer, Wellington. Any such passages will for some time be subject to accommodation requirements for New Zealand troops. Numerous requests are received for free or assisted passages from returned soldiers desiring to return to the United Kingdom to marry or for other purposes, and also from others who are under the impreasion that passages from the Dominion or reduced fares, may be arranged by the Defence Department. It is therefore stated that no transports remain under the control of the Department,, all New Zealand troops returning be : ng carried in Admiralty transports or overseas liners under Admiralty requisition at passenger rates, as indicated above. The Defence Department has therefore no control over the accommodation, etc., of these vessels during return voyage from the Dominion, and as no troops are now being despatched from New Zealand, has no facilities for employing returned soldiers or others during the voyage. The crews of these vessels are engaged by the shipowners concerned in the ordinary way under the shipping regulations, It is therefore necessary for persona requiring passages from the Dominion to arrange with the shipping agents of vessels in the ordinary manner, at the current passenger rates.