CHRISTMAS BUSINESS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 72, 18 December 1937, Page 11

CHRISTMAS BUSINESS

Post Office Expecting Large Increase FIGURES FOR LAST YEAR The Post. Office is approaching the biggest rush period of the year, and there are many indications that existing records of big business will be broken. In an appeal issued yesterday, the department stresses the necessity for early posting, so that mails can be delivered well up to time. Mail trains are filled to capacity at holiday time, amd there is a limit to the weight of mail matter which can be carried. For this reason it is sometimes found necessary to send some of the second-class mail. particularly small packets, by a later train or by express goods, which reduces the Post Office’s opportunity of delivering mail on time.

It is not only the postman who is busy at Cliristmirs time. Every branch of the organisation feels the stress of exceptional demand for post office services, and some indication of the immense turn-over prior to Christmas can be obtained from last year’s figures. In the six working days prior to Christmas, 1936, the four main city offices, in addition to many other important tasks, did the following business Stamp sales, £11,219; parcels posted, 69,565; mail bags forwarded, 24,373. The weight of the mails forwarded was estimated at 544 tons. During this month, the officers of the department expect to handle sayings bank, business running into millions. During December, 1936, withdrawals totalled £2.641,239 and deposits £2,649,410 and it is not likely that these will show a decline during the present month. Last December the Post Office paid on money orders, postal notes and British postal orders, a total of £450,225 in cash. Christmas and New Year greetings telegrams numbered 341,624.