POST OFFICES ON THE ATLANTIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 33, 2 November 1907, Page 10

POST OFFICES ON THE ATLANTIC.

■ : —-— $—. — ■ NON-STOP VOYAGES.' In tho, race with the , mails across tho Atlantic, in the present ago of,rush, every second saved is precious,' and ocean post 'office's are the very latest time-saving device. . ~ . Special offices have now been established (in many steamers, where marine postal clerks sort the -mail at sea, and have it ready immediately on the arrival of the boat. This.. saves from ■ twontjvfour. to forty-eight hours' work for the clerks ashore. .-■ The whole question of accelerating thp mail service on tho liners is now being carefully considered by. tho international postal authorities. Mr. J. T. M'Cleary, an assistant postmaster of tho ' United States, has just returned to New York after a round trip to England and back on the.White Star liner Celtic; and has reported on the working of tho now system. -.« In his report Mr. M'Cleary. expresses his opinion that Holyhead is the' best English port for ocean post-offices to touch at, as ho considers it to bo the best distribution point in this country. t ... This decision, if acted on, will, spell, the doom of Quoonstown as the mail port of call, and put Plymouth also out of tho running in the mail raco of the future. • Mr. M'Cleary estimates that if tho mail steamers passed Queenstown a\\d went direct to Holyhoad with tho bags it would improve the present time by at least six hours. '. On the outward journey a steamer leaving Liverpool has to wait a considerable time at Quoonstown for the extra mails, and this unduly lengthens tho journey. The Cunard Lino , intended to make an'interesting experiment last month. They were to run- one boat direct from Liverpool to New York, and she was to be followed by a sister ship of similar speed, which would pick up tho mails at Queenstown and show the exact loss of time entailed. The landing of the enstbouml mails at Plymouth instead of Qiieonstown or Liverpool suits London, but it means a considerable loss of time in delivery in other parts of the kingdom. Ireland and North Scotland bo'iiS the chief sufferers. The only lines which at present run ocean post oflieos are:— . . • ' ■ The White Star. The North German Lloyd. Tho Hamburg-American. Mr. M'Cleary hopes to have the experiment tried on n.s many vessels as possible. A sum , of £25,000 has boon devoted by the United States Government to tho ocean postollico scheme for experimental purposes, and the time already saved has assured the success of tho innovation.