POSTAL CHARGES REDUCED

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14788, 29 September 1948, Page 6

POSTAL CHARGES REDUCED

CHEAPER AIR SERVICE PLANNED

TO BECOME EFFECTIVE ON MONDAY

(P.A.) Wellington, Sept. 28. Reductions in charges for post office services to overseas countries, to become effective on Monday, were announced tonight by the Postmaster-General, Mr Hackett. The reductions mainly concern postal and telegraph services and will represent in the aggregate a considerable saving to the public. The principal changes are a reduction on overseas air letter charges to the United Kingdom _ and most countries except Australia. Mr Hackett said the changes which • would mostly interest the public were a new universal charge d" 6d fcr air letter-cards ar.l a new charge of ■ls 3d for half-ounce letters to the United Kingdom. "This new air letter-card rate means that New Zealanders can write by air to any country in the World for sixpence," he said, "while the reduced air letter charge to the United Kingdom will benefit the many people who write to Britain by air." . To American countries the reductions in air letter charges were considerable, said the Minister. For instance, letters to the United Stateby Pan-American Airways would go for Is 6d instead of 2s and bv B.C.P.A. for Is 3d instead of Is 6d. Th« reductions on air mails carried by Pan-American service passed on not onlv the saving in exchange but the recently announced reduction in charges by this company. A reduction, of threepence in parcels posted to Britain accorded with the saving in exchange on parcel charge out-payments made to the United Kingdom for handling at the receiving end.