HUGE INCREASE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1937, Page 9

HUGE INCREASE

CHRISTMAS MAILS DUNEDIN AN EXCEPTION REVENUE FROM STAMPS The Christmas business transacted in the post offices of the four main centres, from December 17 to 23 inclusive, shows an enormous increase compared with the previous year, Du:iedin being the one exception. During those seven days over £11,000 was spent on postage stamps, most of which, it may be assumed, were affixed to letters and parcels sent to relatives and friends for Christmas. About 70.000 parcels were dispatchcd. more than twice the number in 1935. The sale of stamps in the four centres is shown in the following table, with the 1935 figures for comparison and with the total to the nearest £■'. — 1936. 1935. ' £ £ Auckland 3.068 2.202

Wellington 3,694 2.740 Christchurch 3.443 2.395 Dunedin , 1,018 1,395 Total £11,223 £9,232 Wellington, it will be seen, heads the list, whereas in the previous year

Christchurch did. But between Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch there is very little difference. The Christmas Eve figures are not included in the above totals. By then the rush is over and the sale of stamps returns to somewhere near the normal figure What caused the falling off in Dunedin's sale of stamps is unknown. The epidemic may perhaps have had something to do with it. Perhaps more missives were left personally and not posted. The number of parcels posted in the four main centres during the week before Christmas Eve more than doubled 1935's total, and in this increase Dunedin also shared. The figures were:— 1938. 1935. Auckland 22.294 8,199 Wellington 22.888 10.711 Christchurch 15.657 6,827 Dunedin 8,720 4,159 Totals 69,565 29,896 Wellington once again produced most parcels for the postman to carry, but Auckland ran it closer than was the case in 1935. WELLINGTON RETURNS. Telegraphic business at the Wellington G.P.O. on New Year's Eve showed a substantial increase on the 1935 figures. Details are as follows:— 1936. 1935 Forwarded (handed over counter) 5,025 3,976 Heceived (local delivery) 6,559 5,962 Suburban (forwarded) . 3,904 2,670 Suburban (delivered sub. areas) .. 3,185 2,106 Transmits 16,510 12,493 35,183 27,207 . Transmits are messages received for onward transmission and actually represent two messages. They are counted as one in this return. The figures for the local mail business from December 25 to 31 are as follows:— .1936. . 1935 Inward 2316 2385 Outward 3169 2692 Transit 848 1098 Parcel returns also show a large increase. The figures below for 1936 are from December 28 to 31, while those for 1935 are from December 27 to 31, which makes the increase more striking still. 1936. 1935 Posted 3426 1435 Delivered 3329 1855 ( Transit ...; 6865 5086