UNCLAIMED WEALTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 June 1936, Page 10

UNCLAIMED WEALTH

PUZZLES FOR POST OFFICE

SYDNEY. May 25

The fact, as disclosed by the latest annual report of the Postmaster-Gen-eral's Department, that money and other valuables. totalling £75.390 were found in postal articles in twelve months, and sent to the Dead Letter Office as undeliverable, is not at all surprising when one glances over merely a few of Hie almost countless faultily-addressed envelopes in the Department’s possession. During the period covered by the latest animal report, 19,501 articles were poster! without any address, and of that number 426 contained money and other valuables totalling £1377. An envelope that has been treasured by the department, for many years is. perhaps, one of rhe striking examples of the trust which is n’ac'-d in the postal authorities whi r letters are slipped into a pillar. On the stamped envelope, in a hand somewhat difficult to decipher, and without any punctuation marks, is merely this: “Miss C.o. 19 street off tram lino on the left-hand side going from Sydney. The corner of the street is opposite a garage and the cottage stands back in a garden on the lefthand side of the street about three doors up. Correct address forgotten. Please deliver.”

The department, far from tossing the letter . aside, delivered it, after much trouble, to its correct address, in a street in Kensington. It was careful. however, to preserve the envelope. It came across one envelope without any address and found within it 10 postal notes each for £l. It was not surprised. LOCATING MR. JONES Another letter was addressed, “Mr. Jones, jnr„ Sydney.” Incredible though it. may appear, when one thinks of the vast army of people bearing that patronymic, the letter eventually reached the right Mr. Jones, in the city. Officials had to put their thinking caps on when a letter with this cryptic address was put before them: — "Mrs. , Home 2 on 7, Sydney.”

The letter was safely delivered to Flat 2, the seventh floor of a big block of flats in the city.

On another occasion the department was asked to locate this address, “Mrs. ——, Tarrant Point, facing the water.” The letter was delivered correctly to a house in Holt-road, Taren Point.

The letter thus addressed offered no problem:—“The eckety cort, Sydney. Eargeant.” It was sent without delay to the Equity Court. An envelope addressed, “C.O.D. 36, Sydney,” filled postal officials with doubt for some time, but the letter reached its destination, the committee of direction, fruit markets, Sydney.

A letter addressed to the "Lang Prize Consultation” was sent on to the State Lottery Office. Officials entangled their fingers in their hair when they were asked to deliver a letter addressed to “ -, Esq., Tannawillaby.” A tanner at Willoughby eventually got his letetr safely. Another letter, bearing the address, "Willoughby-street, Sydney,” was safely delivered to a house Cam-bridge-street, Willoughby.

A person in the United Stales

thought “Sydney, Australia.” was a sufficient address for a person to whom he wrote. It was. for the Postal Department. The person to whom the letter was sent was located in Castlc-reagh-street.