Academic Messenger Must Ride Motor-Scooter

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 10

Academic Messenger Must Ride Motor-Scooter

The University of Canterbury recently issued one of its most unusual advertisements. It sought a messenger—an active middle-aged man able to ride a motorscooter.

Such a notice had never before been issued by the university. The retiring incumbent has served for about 30 years; a mature person was required because almost every communication handled by tiie university is important; and the modern touch of the motor-scooter puts the accent on mobility and speed. The university is possibly one of the largest senders and receivers of mail in Christchurch. After the Christmas and New Year holidays, when the university was closed, it took two days to sort accumulated inward mail, even though the university was not in session and the volume had dwindled to its lowest point of the year.

Once mail is collected from the Post Office, there is a herculean task of sorting and delivery. The university has dozens of departments scattered round the central site and the new campus at Ham. Each department has dozens

of offices. So distribution is a continuing job. The work of the messenger is becoming increasingly sophisticated because he must be able to recognise the proper destination of mail bound for an increasing number of complicated- specialties. It is probable that the university will soon appoint a second mesesenger so that handling of external and internal mail, the huge volume of duplicated records, and other work can be interchanged.