Post Office Prepares For Christmas Rush

Press, Volume C, Issue 29643, 13 October 1961, Page 21

Post Office Prepares For Christmas Rush

The issue of the 1961 Christmas stamp next Monday will be the first major event of the Post Offices Christmas rush, but at the Christchurch chief office preparation* have been going on tor some time. Indeed, the rush is already on with sec-ond-class mails (including parcels. Christmas cards, and unsealed calendars) for Christmas delivery in Europe The closing for these is on October 20. The next important date, apart from th* closing of 1 mail* for various other overseas places, will be November Id. when the familiar exhortation “Post Early For Christmas’’ will appear as a , slug in the cancellation*, with the complementary advice "Pack Parcels Carefully—Address Fully” as an alternative. The postal branches will really get into gear for ' Christmas about December 7. when the sorting of secondclass mail and of parcels and packet* for the postmen’s : rounds will be transferred out of the main office to give mere room for other sections. Th* postmen’s overflow bags will be dealt with in the King Edward Barracks as 1 in previous years, but this vear parcels will also be sorted at the barrack* instead of at th* Moorhouse avenue parcel* branch. The delivery pare*!* room at th*

avenue will be taken ever for second-class mail sorting. Staff will be transferred temporarily from other branches to help in the mail room, and many extra hands will be taken on from outside the service for the rush period. About 60 boys and girl* will be needed to help the poetmen on their rounds. The Post Office has already engaged most of its extra workers, although a few more are still needed. The rush in the telegraph branch is chiefly confined to the few days immediately before Christmas and New Year, but the branch would welcome greetings telegrams, especially cables, being sent rather earlier. Sometimes the delivery rush on the final working days before the two holidays is so great that telegrams sent late on these particular days do not get delivered in time. The Post Office suggests also that it is a courtesy to the recipient to send a greeting telegram early, as many persons like to reply to such a message. Telegrams may be lodged in advance at anytime for delivery on a certain day. About 30 to 60 extra staff are taken on for the rush periods in the telegraph branch, and all these are already in sight. Many persons book in from year to year ter th* jobs.