MAIL SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1149, 9 June 1911, Page 8

MAIL SERVICES.

At a meeting of the council of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce on "Wednesday the question of mail connection between Australia and New Zealand was considered.

During the discussion there was a consensus of opinion thai the needs of the Dominion as a whole would be best served if the inward European mail which at present leaves Sydney for Auckland on Wednesday, were to leave Sydney on Monday for "Wellington direct. It would then, in the ordinary course, reach "Wellington on Friday forenoon, Auckland on Saturday morning, and Dunedin on Saturday evening, and this would be a great gain in every direction. It was felt that, if such a change in the intercolonial steamer lime-table involved any extra expense, the cost might fairly be met by subsidy, and, to effect this, the chamber decided to approach the Government and the steamship companies concerned. The matter of the closing time of mails at Wellington came up at_ the Chamber of Commerce meeting on Wednesday, and a sub-committeo afterwards interviewed Mr. Robertson on the subject. It was felt that the time between the closing time for mails, and the departure of trains or steamers might be lessened. Mr. Robertson met the committee, and promised to look into the matter, and, if possible, to effect some improvement in this direction. Tho committee also asked that the Department should give some further information in accounts for telephone bureau connections. . This matter has caused some trouble to hotels and business houses through outsiders using the telephone, and leaving the proprietor to pay the charge. It was often impossible afterwards to find out who was responsible for the payment, and what was asked was that the Department. _ should record the name of the user, with lue date and name of the bureau. Mr. Robertson promised (if approached by the hoteikeepers and others interested) to go into tho matter with tlieni, and, if possible, meet (heir requirements. The president reported that, in response to a request, the secretary of the Postal Department had promised to issue a circular instructing all post offices that all mail matter shall bear the postmark of the day on which it is posted. This will be of great benefit to merchants, in enabling them to ascertain that country remittances arc pos'ecl in accordance with trade discount terms.