PARCEL POSTAGE RATES

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21732, 14 March 1936, Page 23

PARCEL POSTAGE RATES

'%|IBmJCTION ANNQUNCED r ' 7 BY MINISTER

CONCESSIONS OUTLINED

(HIM 4ISOCUTIOS TSLSfIftAM.) WELLINGTON, March 13. Following close upon the inauguration of en air mail .letter service within New Zealand, the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones) announced to-day another post office enterprise, a reduction in the charges for the carriage of parcels. The range <rf the department's potential parcel business is also doubled by the decision to increase the maximum weight of parcels to be accepted from 141 b to 281 b. •The parcel-post concessions." said the Postmaster-General, "commence on Monday, the same day as the air mail service, and the new rates which are being advertised in the newspapers may be summarised as follows: For parcels up to 31b, 6d (old rates Üb. 6d; 21b, 8d; 31b, 10d> Over 31b to 71b, Is (old rate Is 6d lor 71b). Over 71b to 141 b, Is 6d (old rate 2s 4d for 14ib>. Over 141 b to 211 b, 2s. Over 2J lb to a maximum of 281 b. 2s 6& "Concessions are also being made in respect to certain classes of bulky parcels and those containing fishing tods and golf clubs," said Mr Jones. "I confidently anticipate that the business community will appreciate, not only the reductions which are being made throughout the scale, but the greater elasticity of the new range of charges and that the result will be a substantial increase in this class of business. "During the depression, there was a decline in the number of parcels bandied by the Post Office and this was probably accentuated by competition from road transport. Improved business conditions have been reflected in the greater numbers of parcels being delivered through the agency of the Poj.l Office, and I am looking forward t> a substantial extension of this business in the near future, which will justify the department in adopting a new rate, involving (on the basis of the present parcel-post traffic) concessions to post office customers amounting to £25,000 per annum."