CHRISTMAS MAILS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 302, 21 December 1926, Page 10

CHRISTMAS MAILS.

GENERAL POST OFFICE BUSY. BIG RUSH OF BUSINESS. LETTERS AND PARCELS. When thousands of people throughout New Zealand receive their Christmas parcels and letters, they accept it as a pleasurable happening of an annual nature; in fact, take it largely as a matter of course, with perhaps never a thought of the special efforts that have been made by the G.P.O. to see that the recipients should not be disappointed. For, at this time of the year, the work of this particular department is increased something like tenfold. The rush is now at its height, and will continue for the rest of the week. As the result of experience in the past, and constant advice to post eaily and avoid the rush, the majority of people take time by the forelock, and do not delay the sending of Christmas parcels to the last day and hour. Yesterday was a scene of bustle and rush at the parcels office in Albert Street; an augmented staff was on from an early to a late hour, and the indication this morning was that a similarly busy day was in sight. The number of parcels posted by Aucklanders this Chrislmas will probably constitute a record, that is judging by the figures of Jthe past few days. Big Overseas Mail. In addition to the ordinary Christmas mail to handle, the G.P.O. is having at the moment an added burden in coping with a big overseas mail. Yesterday the Niagara brought 515 bags of mail matter; to-day 615 bags of mail which came by the Makura to Wellington arrived from the South, plus 320 bags of mail to hand by the Maunganui this morning from Sydney. It has necessitated three combined staffs in the mfl.il room putting in strenuous days, with the prospect of some heavy days ahead, to cope with the inland mails. Hun'un nature remains the same. The average person will expedite the dispatch of a Christmas parcel, but the sending of a Christmas card or a message of greeting is usually left to the last possible moment, "the sender no doubt -wishing its arrival to synchronise with Cliristn as. or, at least, thereabouts. This morning the mail room at the G.P.O. was veritably a clearing-house, and although at first sight things appeared mildly chaotic, it was really a very orderly confusion as a staff of 80 experts grappled with the profound problem of handling the Christmas mail. There were baskets and bags of mail matter everywhere, some stationary, some being propelled by hand in various directions, while thousands of letters were being sorted into bags and pigeonholes. The postmarking machinery was worked at express speed to imprint a patriotic adjuration, and incidentally to

cancel the postage stamps. In sorting the letters, they go through what is known in the Department as a breakingup process at primary hoppers, later to go through ti secondary sorting for individual post offices. The saying that practice makes perfect is well illustrated in thi3 Departmental hive of activity, and an expert sorter can handle a bunch of letters with the facility of a conjurer or a three-card artist, likewise with an unfailing accuracy that comes only from constant practice. It might be said that ealigraphy does not appear to be a strong point with the average New Zealander, but the G.P.O. officials have developed a sense bordering on something to clairvoyancy, and writing indifferent, bad, or very bad appears to occasion but one brief giance to interpret it correctly. The handling of newspapers and packets is a slower proceeding, and in passing it might be mentioned that the newspaper mail this year has been phenomenal. Two Distinct Peaks. There arc two peaks of the Christmas postal work. The first came a few weeks ago, with a huge increase in the mails for the Old Country and other overseas places; the second is now well on, and the cud is not yet in sight. The counting of letters is an interesting process; laborious mental and verbal enumeration is a thing of the past, and the modern method of the graduated board is used, ln brief, letters are stacked in a row like letters on a shelf; they are compressed tightly, and the number is read off on a scale, a simple yet most accurate process. That the season of greeting is at hand has also been impressed on the staff of the Telegraph Department, with an increase in the volume of the work, although, for them, the real rush will start about Thursday, and be at its peak on Friday. On those clays tens of thousands of people throughout the Dominion will be sending messages over the wires to extend to friends and relatives a HMerry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and the operating staff will have to be at full strength, with every available line in operation to cope with the rush. From the public's point of view, easily the most important person connected with tbe service is the postman, for ho is the real collecting link in a very efficient chain. During the past few days the postmen in the suburbs have been carrying additional burdens, and working long hours to play their very important part in ensuring that for everyone Christmas of 1920 will be a happy one.