TOO MUCH DELAY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 58, Issue 4107, 2 March 1949, Page 5

TOO MUCH DELAY

WAITAKARURU MAIL DIRECT ROUTE WANTED MAY BE CARRIED BY BLS Support for an attempt a direct mail route for Waitakaruru to and from Auckland by road instead of the “ round-about route ” by rail, was sought by the Waitakaruru branch of the Returned Services' Association in a letter received by the February meeting of the council of the Thames Chamber of Commerce. The letter was as follows:— “ We have been given to understand by our local postmaster that the second class mail (parcels, papers and packets) which formerly arrived in Thames by train at 10.30 a.m. daily, does, not now reach Thames until 2.30 p.m., owing to the curtailment of the train service between Thames and Paeroa.

“We understand also that this mail takes over an hour to sort at Thames. As the service car leaves Thames at 3 p.m. it would be necessary for such mail to stay in Thames overnight, as there is.no other transport available until the following morning.

“ It was also pointed out by several members that parcels posted in Auckland hqve been known to take a week

to arrive at'their destination, and the feeling is now that there is justification in asking for a better service.” . Support from the Federated Farmers 'and the Returned Services’ Association was also being sought, the letter stated. '

Mr H. T. Gallop stated that the chamber should do all it could for,the people of Waitakaruru. The chairman, Mr H. G. T. Bryan, stated that he was very concerned to learn of the difficulties experienced by Waitakaruru for mail deliveries. He thought that the chamber should take up the matter with the chief postmaster in Thames, and with the railway authorities, and do all it could to ensure that the Waitakaruru district had a prompt delivery of second class mails.

There seamed to be no reason that Waitakaruru should not have its mail delivered direct by either the road passenger service or by the road freight service, Mr Bryan added. The position regarding Waitakaruru’s second class mails was being considered, stated the chief postmaster, Mr R. McKenzie, and the possibility of having the mail carried by road service was being investigated. There was a chance, he adBed, that the buses would not have room for the mail.