Appeal To City Firms To Indicate Postal Zones

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 11

Appeal To City Firms To Indicate Postal Zones

Disappointment that some Christchurch business firms were not using the new city postal zone indicators on their mail has been expressed by the Chief Postmaster (Mr C. J. C. Simpson).

“If only these firms realised it, they would be saving money and time by using the indicators,” said Mr Simpson. "The mail would be delivered more quickly because sorting would no longer be necessary. In addition, the elimination of the suburb name on addressograph plates must cut down the cost of the plates. Where typists address hundreds of envelopes, cutting out the suburb name would shorten working time by quite a large amount. Many firms have already realised these advantages and have changed to the new system. “Though we appreciate that it will often be too costly for a firm to scrap all its existing addressograph plates, we do advocate very strongly that any new plates should be made out with zone numbers in the addresses,” said Mr Simpson. “In this way the zone numbers would in time become universal without any sudden disruption. , “We ourselves changed our addressograph plates for our telephones accounts in time for the last lot of accounts to be sent out before Christmas. In previous years, staff has not been available to sort the accounts during the

Christmas rush and so they have been delayed. "Mail sorted by the firms into the various zonal areas by-pass the mailroom altogether. “Where a firm does not have a private Post Office box number, the inclusion of the zonal number in its stationery heads hastens the delivery of its inwards mail. “When we see large quantities of mail being sent out by a particular organisation without the zone numbers in the addresses, we send a liaison officer to point out the advantages of using them and to help in any changeover which may be necessary. We are glad to do this on request for any organisation. Several firms and other bodies have already sought our advice.

“Recently we have begun to look at the addresses on mail for delivery in the zonal areas and to stamp a reminder on those letters which do not have the indicators. The reminder asks people to include their zone number in their address when writing to their correspondents, so that the correspondents will be able to use the correct address. As it would be impossible to go through all the mail in this way, we examine about three postmen’s deliveries each day.”

“I don’t ‘winterise’ my automobile . . . nor would I dream of winterising myself. Of course, I change my lubricant from a light lager to a thick Jamaica, but otherwise I do nothing.”—Robertson Davies.