MOST ISOLATED POST OFFICE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 58, 1 December 1934, Page 8

MOST ISOLATED POST OFFICE

Business at ’«Little America

OFFICIAL ARRIVES WITH HUGE MAIL By' Telegraph. —Press Association. Auckland’ November (30. Entrusted with the unique mission of establishing the world’s most isolated post office. Mr. S. ‘F. Anderson, of Washington, arrived at Auckland by the Monterey, eu route to the Antarctic. He lias been ‘appointed personal representative in the Antarctic of the post-master-general of the United States, and is on Ids way (to join Rear-Admiral It. E. Byrd’s expedition in Little Arne--11 There is : a valuable consignment of 32 bags of mail in his" charge, consistin'’ of 40,000 letters, the estimated value of which (is £BOOO. The distance from Washington to Little America is 16,000 miles, and Mr. Anderson considers this to be the longest journey undertaken by a post office officla while engaged on a special errand. Tins enterprising, scheme was J?. 1 ' 1 * ginated by the American Post Office Department, and is the ’result of the successful sales of the commeraoratnc stamp issued in February in of the Bvrd expedition Collectors throughout America und general public ‘ were to obtain stamped letters which had actually been cancelled in Little America, it was accordingly decided to establish a post office In the Antarctic and provide an opportunity for people to send letters bearing the unusual mark. Although there 40,000 letters to be carried to the basin Little America, it is expected that more than twice that number will be sent to various parts of the world. Ibis is explained by the fact that each let ter is in reality only a covering envelope addressed to the nost office of tlie Bvrd Expedition. ■When the post office is established the envelopes will be opened and the enclosed letters,.addressed either to the senders or their friends.-will be stamped by a cancelling mark. The charge for the special stamp is three cen J® (14d.), and a carrying charge of .00 cents (2/-) is made for each letter.