ZEAL MISPLACED

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 140, 9 March 1929, Page 10

ZEAL MISPLACED

OFFICE BOY’S ERROR Dominion Special Service. Auckland, March 8. traditional “howlers” of schoolboys could scarcely produce a better example of mistaken endeavour, than that of a new office boy employed by one of Auckland’s largest firms. ■ For some days during this week the firm received numerous sharp, letters from customers and "agents throughout' New Zealand complaining that no answers had been received to correspondence, and that, business generally was being held up through the Auckland firm’s failure to communicate with them. It was found, however, that the correspondence had been kept up to date, and as’the question was one of vital importance the manager of the firm Instituted careful inquiries through the staff. Everything appeared to have been carried out in accordance with office routine, and it was a mystery where the letters had gone. Finally, questions were put to the new office boy, whose chief daily duty was to post the mail, comprising sometimes very large bundles of letters. ‘ The office boy declared all the mail had been posted by him for at least ten days at the Central Post Office. Sensing the inexperience of the youth the manager asked to be shown exactly where the firm’s mail had been deposited. He was taken to the post office by his office boy, who assured him all letters handed to him had been placed in a large white box on the footpath outside. This proved to be a Mayoress War Memorial Library collection box. The key to the office boy's private letter box was obtained from the Town Hall, and upon the box being' opened hundreds of'letters were found Inside. The. box was rapidly becoming full. It contained mail anxiously being awaited . all over the country,’ and this was posted immediately in the correct place to save further commercial complications.