LATER DELIVERY?

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 81, 6 April 1933, Page 8

LATER DELIVERY?

WELLINGTON MAILS.

PROPOSED TRAIN ALTERATION.

DIFFICULTIES FORESEEN. The effect oil the early mail delivery in Auckland of the proposal to postpone the departure of tho Wellington afternoon express from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and its consequential later arrival in Auckland, was discussed at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce this morning.

The communications and transport committee reported that it had considered the convenience to passengers against the possibility of the Southern mails not being sorted until approximately nine o'clock, but -it had decided that the balance of argument was in favour of the proposed alteration. Mr. Malcolm Stewart said that the present arrangement, the express arriving in Auckland at 6.38 a.m., meant the sorting of the mail was facilitated. It was sorted into private boxes by eight o'clock and also caught the first delivery. If the time of arrival in Auckland was altered by about three-quarters of an hour it would prejudice this arrangement. The train brought in about 50 per cent of the mail matter for Auckland,, and the practice had grown np in the commercial life of the city to clear the mail before 8.30.

Mr. Poole said that everybody would be put to a disadvantage if there was delay in the delivery of the morning mail, and the suburbs would not get it possibly until the afternoon. Mr. Boucher asked whether the Post Office could make an arrangement to meet the position.

"No doubt pressure has been brought to bear on. the Department in Wellington to delay the train, for the extra hour will, be of considerable value to business people," said Mr. Woodger, of the Railway Department. He instanced certain' conveniences in the matter of transfer of the guards of the ordinary and Limited expresses, and of the passengers, to the New Plymouth train.

Mr. S. M. Harrison, chief postmaster at Auckland, said that with the later arrival of the train, the sorting of mail could not bo finished till about nine o'clock. The change would seriously delay the first delivery, but the delay would be cut down as much as possible. He mentioned that of COOO business houses, in Auckland, only iabout 25 per cent had private boxes, and the bulk of the mail would have to be delivered by hand. He also said that there were 105 mails for North Auckland which had to be dispatched by the 8.40 train and the new arrangement might occasion difficulty there. "Purely from the postal point of view," ho said, "it seems to me, at the moment, that considerable difficulty will bo occasioned to give the service we are giving to-day." The subject was referred back to the committee Tor further consideration.