EFFECTIVE FROM OCTOBER 1 increases in Post Office charges

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 2

EFFECTIVE FROM OCTOBER 1 increases in Post Office charges

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, September 7. • The Postmaster-General (Mr McCready) today announced increased charges for a range of Post Office services, including some postal charges, telephone rentals and toll charges and telegram rates. ;• He said that the increases came after a review of Post Office finances referred to in the Budget, and the more recent announcement of a loss of $13.7m last financial year, and would Come into effect on October 1.

2- He said there would be ®i> change in the rates for inland surface mail aid air-letter mail, nor inland printed-matter njail, and overseas airmail charges to some Countries, including the Edited Kingdom, were to 6$ reduced.

;ZThe principal changes are: Inland parcel rates. Increases > will vary from 1c to •223 c depending on weight and distance.

Overseas airmail: Rates .to most countries will be adjusted. For instance, > the letter rate to the •’ United Kingdom will be ■Z reduced from 28c to 23c per half ounce, and to •* Japan will be reduced from 18c to 16c per half *- ounce. The letter rate

< to Australia will be ini'* creased from 7c to 8c per half ounce.

Overseas parcels: There will •Z be various increases > arising from higher con- -* veyance costs for surface ■- parcels, and higher > handling charges in the *Z countries of destination, i- for both surface and air -r parcels

Residential telephone rentals: •Z These will increase by between 82c and $1.61 • * for each two-monthly ■Z bill.

Business telephone rentals: Z- These will increase by ■Z between $1.73 and $435

per line for each twomonthly bill. Inland toll charges: These will be increased varying from 5c to 21c for a three-minute call over

distances greater than

30 miles. , Ordinary telegrams: In-

creases will be from 25c to 35c for 12 words and from 2c to 3c for each additional two words. Letter telegrams: The charge will increase from 25c to 35c for 22 words, and from 2c to 3c for each additional two words. Letter rates Mr McCready said other charges being increased included rates for letters and postcards to Commonwealth countries and those countries belonging to the Asian Oceanic Postal Union, registered newspapers to Commonwealth countries, overseas printed papers weighing up to 2oz, money-order telegrams, press telegrams, the urgent fee telegrams, land mobile radio services, tele-phone-installation fees, extension telephones, telex rentals and call charges and circuit rentals. Unchanged charges Services for which charges were not being increased included inland surface and airmail letters, inland printed matter mail, private-box rentals, mail-registration fees, money orders and postal notes, calls from public telephones, toll. calls up to 30 miles, international telegrams, international telex calls and international telephone calls. Mr McCready said the increases were expected to increase Post Office revenue by about s2om a year, which represented an over-all increase of 12| per cent. This was necessary to enable the Post Office to pay its way in the face of increasing costs. Post Office costs had increased from sloo.Bm in 1967-68, to $143.5m in 197071, he said, and although the

Post Office was doing its best to curb this growth, with the increasing volumes of traffic and demands for its services no significant reductions could be made without the curtailment of services on a wide scale. "It is clear,” he said, "that growth in revenue, including the effects of the last increase in charges, would not have been sufficient to avoid a substantial loss again this financial year.” Referring to the increase in residential telephone rentals, Mr McCready said that the Government recently had reviewed the system under which help in cases of need could be given to age beneficiaries under supplementary assistance administered by the Social Security Department.

In the review, he said, the conclusion was reached that the existing system was a sound one, and an equitable one in that each case was given full consideration on its merits. He added that since September 2, 1970, when the rates for special assistance were increased, telephone rentals had been taken into account by the Social Security Department as a commitment for the purpose of assessing supplementary assistance.