PAYING FOR MAILS

Evening Star, Issue 22559, 29 January 1937, Page 2

PAYING FOR MAILS

AN INTERNATIONAL CHECK NEW ZEALAND'S PAYMENTS OVERSEAS The world’s postal administrations have been recently engaged for 28 days in closely checking the quantities of mail matter handled on account of different countries. Only for 28 days ini every three years is the rapid handling of overseas correspondence slowed up> slightly for statistical purpose’s, and on| the basis of four weeks’ experience* payments are made by New Zealand; during three years for tlfe forwarding of mails through various countries inj transit overland or through the mediums of sea services of other countries. The principle followed is simple. Dun* ing the period first class mail matter; (letters, etc) is separated from second class (papers, books,, etc.) and forwarded in separate bags. Each bag comes within a category of weight known as light (under 111 b), medium (331 b) or heavy bags (661 b), and must bear a suitable label indicating this fact. Each mail despatched during th« period is accompanied by a transit not* or waybill. Notes are made at every, point of transhipment, and on receipt in the country of destination the statements are forwarded to the office of origin. It is from these that the amounts due. for transit charges are finally ascertained. This ‘ interesting process gives a good insight into the routes followed by mails and of tha time taken to reach various destinations. Mails from Moscow, for instance, take approximately seven weeks to reach New Zealand, and are received via Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary* Yugqslavia, Greece, Egypt, and Australia. Each of these countries receives payment from Russia for the convey* ance of the mails. For the reverse journey to'Russia* New Zealand is responsible for payment of all transit charges, and ai quicker route, taking five to six week* is usually followed via North America.England, Belgium, , Germany, and Poland, involving payments by the Dominion to the postal administrations of these countries. Russia makes deliverv at its own cost. New Zealand also makes no charge for delivery of correspondence from Russia, the assumption being that postages paid in th« respective countries will cover that service. Parcel mails and air mails involve considerably greater expense than,' ordinary ' mails _in transport, and are subject to definite charges in respect of each despatch, all postal administrations concerned receiving their propel proportion of the postage paid by tha sender. The more complicated system of charging for specific parcels mails in accordance with weight is likely to bo maintained because the balance of business is always in favour of manufacturing countries, which freely use tho parcels post for distribution of their products. However, with the rapid development of air transit for first class correspondence, the more simplified procedure of assessing charges will in du* course be applied in this sphere.