ABOUT A PARCEL

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 6

ABOUT A PARCEL

Sir,—This is the story of a parcel I received, or thought I was receiving, from Australia. It contained a baby’s jacket and bonnet. I signed for it and • was allowed to look at it (actually) • and it was then taken away again to • be sent back to Wellington (for ap- ’ proval or something), and I feel I ■ shall be fortunate indeed to get it at • all eventually. Why all this fuss about ■ it, as the sender had written on the outside all it contained. If she had - written "Time Bomb” or "Secret Ser- ’ vice only,” I should have expected 1 these Gestapo methods. I was under ; the impression that shipping space is 1 precious (as my parcel would not be the only one to be so treated), and that we are supposed to be fighting for freedom.—Yours, etc., WHAT NEXT? June 2, 1943. [Commenting on this letter, the Chief Postmaster at Christchurch (Mr - V. C. Lawn) said: “In the absence of specific information about to whom the parcel was addressed and where it was registered, etc., it is not possible to give a detailed reply, but if ’What Next’ will supply details to the Chief Postmaster, in writing, a# full reply will be furnished. Sealed packets received from overseas are referred to the addressee for opening and extracting of any correspondence, prior to submitting the packet to the customs officer for the assessment of customs duty. If the addressee lives in a town or city where a customs officer is stationed, the packet, etc., is opened in the presence of both the customs officer and the addressee, but if it is addressed to a resident in the country, it is forwarded to the nearest customs i centre for assessment.”]