ITO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR..']
SIE,-- The letter of Colonel Chrystie gives welcome news to many unofficial soldiers' friends, that the name and address of the special
Soldiers' Friend "—i.e., the representative of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Help Society—is in future to be exhibited in every post office. In regard to the Commendation Form mentioned in the same letter, I must still urge that this does not, at present, supply " a working arrange- ment." A. F. D. 480 is in triplicate, as, in addition to the two forms mentioned by Colonel Chrystic, there is a third, to be retained by the discharging officer. But in many cases, especially, I think, those of men sent direct to their homes from hospital, no such paper is supplied. A disabled soldier who called on me for advice at the end of June had been discharged on May 27th without A. F. D. 480, and had had to use up a few pounds he had saved to keep his wife and children for more than a month. I directed him to the local Secretary of the S.S.H.S., and knew ho was then cared for. Another case known to me occurred only last week. if the new arrangements mentioned in the communication from the War Pensions Committee prove effectual in working, we may , hope that we shall no longer find the pitiful cases that have occurred of the disabled soldier, perhaps one of " The First Seven Divisions " or " The First Hundred Thousand," not knowing where to turn for his
week's rent or his children's food.—I am, Sir, &e., -
P.S.—The ex-soldier mentioned as " X " in my previous letter has lately teen awarded a temporary pension of 7s. a week.
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