LETTER BOX THEFTS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28399, 4 October 1957, Page 20

LETTER BOX THEFTS

Children’s Raids For Coupons

The fund-raising “Y Swopper” coupon collecting contest run by the Y.M.C.A. Optimists' Club has led to the raiding of h.v„- , Jia . ers' letter boxes by children.

Many children, who are trying to amass enough of an advertisement coupon to win a prize, have got well under way with their swapping and some have canvassed householders for their sheets of coupons, or the particular square that they are collecting. Others are reported to have followed postmen on their rounds and removed the sheets from letter boxes. This is mail theft.

The Chief Postmaster in Christchurch (Mr H. R. Pool) said yesterday that postmen were aware of the competitive value of the coupons and had taken special care to see that there had been no ‘ailures in delivering them. There had been thefts, when a similar competition was run some time ago, said Mr Pool. After the coupons had been placed in letter boxes they were out of the lands of the Post Office. It could take nd action and the mail had. under the law, been properly delivered. It was over to the householder to take the matter up with the police if mail was removed from a letter box, £aid Mr Pool. He believed that the coupons had gone to every household. The competition is being conducted in Christchurch and Lyttelton. Another outcome of the collecting fever has been the bitter complaint by an eight-year-old girl that her promising pile of coupons was taken from her school desk yesterday.