HANDLING MAIL

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30191, 24 July 1963, Page 16

HANDLING MAIL

Improvements In Services (Parliamentarv Reporter) WELLINGTON, July 23. About 526 million articles were pos:ed in New Zealand during the last financial year, says the annual report of the Post Office. Of these 57 per cent were posted in the Auckland. Wellington and Christchurch postal districts "illustrating the urgent need for modern postal centres with mechanical mail-handling facilities at the three cities,” the report says It states that sketch plans for the Wellington postal centre and administration building are complete and sites have been bought for the Auckland and Christchurch centres.

Preliminary planning of the Christchurch centre has begun.

The report says a comprehensive review of inland mail services was started during the year and already some services were being improved. In particular, the gap between mail closing times and transport departure times has been reduced at several offices.

"It is expected that alternative means of routing certain mails and the establishment of additional mails will follow ”

The report shows that though the number of telegrams handled during the year decreased by 123,025 to 7.117,904 revenue went up by more than £29,000 to £831,065.

It notes that only three offices were still using morse for telegraph transmission and says that these will be converted to telephone by the end of the year.