POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 187, 19 December 1881, Page 1 (Supplement)

POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS.

(Taranaki Herald.) We have pointed oni more than, once the inconvenience the settlers at Hawera, Norinanby and Manaia must experience owing to those towns beiug within the Wanganui Postal district instead of the New Plymouth one. Evidently they are a long-suffering people down there, and have borne the inconvenience till they can bear ifc no longer, and eire now taking steps to have it rectifiea. Ifc will be scarcely credited, but it is nevertheless a fact, that the English mails made up at Normanby, Hawera, aud Manaia are sent to Wanganui. the head office, aud thence to Wellington, where they are shipped on board the steamer which calls at New Plymouth on her way to Manukau; whereas if New Plymouth was made the head office the settlers could post their letters for Europe and America up to a late hour on the night previous to the steamer leaving. Then again, owing to a want of knowledge on the part of the Wanganni authorities the mails at Hawera and Normanby are closed afc a most inconvenient time. The present arrangement is that mails leave Hawera and Normanby daily for New Plymouth, at 3 p.m., say on Monday, arriving here at 7 p.m., but of course are not delivered till next morning. Letters written on Tuesday in reply reach Hawera at 11 a.m. on the Wednesday, so that three days are occupied in writing to get a reply from New Plymouth. We can see no reason why two mails a day should not be made up, now the trains are running morning and evening ; but this cannot be accomplished without authority ironx Wanga,nui. Then the Money Order and Savings Bank branches could be regulated from New Plymouth greatly to the advantage of the public. As it is now, persons having money in the Post Office Savings Bank at Hawera and Normanby, and wishing to withdraw it, cannot do so until the fourth day after they have made application ; whereas they could have it the next day were New Plymouth the head office. It takes also the same time to get a Money Order cashed ; in fact, any business which has to be referred to Wanganui is unnecessarily hindered, owing to the distance preventing a reply being received in less than three days, whereas if the postmaster only had to refer to New Plymouth there need not be a delay oi more than a few hours. It is time the Government altered the boundary of the postal district; and, while doing so. if they extended the boundary of the Education and Judicial Districts oi Taranaki, ifc would he a great to the people aa a whole.

Further improvements are about to be made on the Flemington Racecourse. The club have purchased five acres of the hill at the back, and are considering the advisability of erecting a new stand.