FOOD PARCELS

Evening Star, Issue 26030, 19 February 1947, Page 6

FOOD PARCELS

DOMINION CONTRIBUTIONS

MILLION PARCELS IN YEAR

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 18. “During 1946 New Zealanders sent almost 1,000,000 parcels of food by post to persons in Britain and other European countries—a highly creditable effort,” said the Postmaster-Gene-ral, Mr Hackett, to-day. “ The 955,897 parcels sent weighed in the aggregate 6,419,0001 b. and, while the majority were for the United Kingdom itself, an appreciable number were addressed to European countries, principally France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. “It is interesting to note,” Mr Hackett said, “ that, although in October last the limit of weight for gift parcels for the United Kingdom was increased from 111 b to 221 b. and the limit for fbod contained in any one parcel was raised from 71b to 221 b, the average weight of each parcel increased by less .than half a pound. The average weight is now 71b.” The Minister went on to say that, with the recent restoration of the service to Germany, Austria, and Hungary, it was now possible to send parcels to all European countries except Albania, Bulgaria, and Rumania, but action to restore parcel services to those countries was now under way. To the New Zealand'forces in Japan 41,359 parcels, weighing 199,9361 b, were despatched during 1946. Apart from United Kingdom mails, this constituted the largest number of parcels sent to any one destination for the year. To Australia, the number was 33,098, to the United States 12,176, to Fiji 3,735, and to Canada 3,162. The total number of parcels despatched to all destinations was 1,074,062.