PARCELS TO THE TROOPS.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 March 1940, Page 4

PARCELS TO THE TROOPS.

RATHER belated request by the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) that ciga, reties or tobacco in any form should not be included in parcels sent to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force will lie disconcerting Io many people who have already sent, parcels and is on all grounds to be regretted. The Alinister has only now learned from Major-General Freyberg that our soldiers are required to pay high rates of duty on cigarettes turd tobacco even when these are included in post parcels. No hint of tiny such condition had been given previously tint! the matter surely is one that might have been dealt with by the Government in good lime. Within reason, there should be no great- difficulty in securing the remission of Customs duties on goods sent to our forces overseas.

The whole question of the transmission of parcels to members of the Expeditionary Forces deserves more attention than it seems yet to have received. The rates of postage meantime in force tire high and might well lie reduced. Some un.eertainty appears Io exist, also, regarding the postage rates and conditions of transmission applying to small packets ad dressed to New Zealand soldiers overseas. Since parcels from home const illite one excellent and valuable means of maintaining contact with our soldiers, no time should be lost in clearing up the whole position. The postage rales on parcels for soldiers certainly should be made as light as is reasonably possible,