Postage Rates

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29377, 2 December 1960, Page 3

Postage Rates

Sir, —It costs 6d for an air-mail letter form to be sent from Britain to -New Zealand, but 8d for a reply. Half-ounce air-mail letters cost Is 3d from Britain, and Is 9d to Britain. It is not obvious why it should cost 33 per cent, more to send letter forms, and 40 per cent, more to send airmail letters in one direction than in the other.' Could we be informed of the reason, please?— Yours, etc, ARTHUR LUSH. November 28, 1960. [The Chief Postmaster (Mr C. J. C. Simpson) said: “As the bulk of mail dispatched from New Zealand is for the United Kingdom, the rates fixed for aerogrammes and airmail letters are such that will allow recovery of our costs for transport over this long distance. The mail sent to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, however, is only a small percentage of the total mail dispatched and that country can afford to charge less, as any loss can be recovered on the larger quantities of mail for other nearer countries. The postage rate for Joz airmail letters from Britain to New Zealand is Is 6d and not Is 3d as quoted by your correspondent.”]