THE PARCEL POST.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 155, 1 July 1919, Page 6

THE PARCEL POST.

DRASTIC RESTRICTIONS. CHAOTIC EPFBCT ON AUCKLAND OOIIMERCE. MAIL ORDER BUSINESSES HIT. POSSIBLE SUSPENSION' OF IIAXDS FORESHA DOW-ED. A further indication of the full and ultimate effect of the. railway service restrictions U contained in the announcement by the Postal Department that the mail service will be reduced according to the running of the trains, and that it has been found necessary to restrict the acceptance of parcels for the poet in accordance with the schedule ot essential poods already announced by the Railway Department in connection with the carriage of good 3. Without recapitulating in detail tho list of goods that in future will be accepted by the Railway Department, it may be mentioned that the schedule includes in the essential lines live stock for slaughter, groceries and other foodstuffs, household requisites and fuel, manures and other farming necessities, benzine, etc. Beer, wine, and spirits are specifically excluded. From the schedule it will be eeen that practically the entire flow of commerce from Auckland to the rural districts has been chocked, and a situation urf" paralleled since the 1913 strike has been created. Briefly some of its effects are: The large mail order businesses ct the principal Auckland houses will he suspended, except in regard to groceries and household and farir* ing necessities. Draperies, clothing and woollen goods appear to be out out entirely. The suspension of packing activities may lead to the temporary unemployment of a large number of hands. XOTXE TO BUSINESS HOUSES. To-day the Auckland Postmaster served upon the Auckland business houses an intimation that: — "Classes of goods which are not being carried by the railways during the present crisis are not to be accepted for transmission by parcels Any parcels which may be found not to comply with this prohibition are to be held at the sender's risk. For list of essentials which may be forwarded see daily Press of even date." The effect of this Departmental uka.=o is apparently to entirely suspend the mail order activities of the wholesale and retail drapers, if it i« interpreted literally, and the chaotic effect it will have in these departments of the leading business houses of the city may lie gauged by the fact that at the present time the winter sales are in full swing, and. owing to the advent of thn coid weather, the Hoodtidc of tin- winter demand for warm clothing is upon the trade. Representatives of business houses, in discussing the new restrictions this morning, expressed the opinion that, while realising the necessity for pan-ul p'K-a restriction :n consequence <>t the reduction of the train services, it could hardly bi" conceived that it was intended tli.it winter clothing for people in the baekbloeks should be excluded from the schedule of essentials. If it were -o, it v.unld impose tiii , gravest hardship upon families residing in the districts far removed from centres ot distribution. One house alone has upon its boohs 2.>.000 country customers, and it IB estimated that at this particular time of the year the limitation now placed upon the postal service will result in no fewer than 20.00(1 parcels hanking up within a fnrliiiL-li:. Ll was Mated that even if tin- houses went on packing they would experience tne greatest difficulty hi finding warehouse

space for tiie accumulation of parcels.-! A further difficulty would be experienced | in providing a guarantee of tho "essen-1 tial" nature of the contents of parcels, as it would be almost a physical impossibility to provide a list of contents with each parcel. ACTION BY CHAMBER OF COiLUEKCE. The matter of the parcel post service and the curtailment of the goods transportation has already occupied the attention of the Auckland Chamber ot I Commerce, and yesterday a full meeting |of the Council was held to discuss the (grave situation which has arisen. The | proceedings were in camera, but it is i understood thai as a result of the | gathering urgent representations were 'dispatched to Ministers. Discussing the | matter this morning, Mr. il. lleCallum, president of the Chamber, stated that, while the business men of the city were willing to comply with every restriction dictated by absolute necessity, the ciiPI tailment of the services had been so

I draßtic and sudden that there was a feeling that the necessity for snch severe I measures was not yet absolutely proven. There was also a strong opinion in commercial circles tliat in many directions coal consumption could have been cut down lo have made the limitation of the carriage of goods less severe, such as the supplies that are being conserved for peace illuminations, the lighting of the city, and so on. -While merchants and traders were quite prepared to be loyal to the Government in any genuine em- ' barrassment, the effect ot the rcstricI tions threatened to be so 6erious that it was desirable that the business community should be supplied with the fullest possible information as to the circumstances compelling the present action of the Railway Department. Already some firms were contemplating the possibility of having to suspend their packing and warehouse staffs.