King Country Chronicle Saturday, Sept. 23rd, 1916. DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUBLIC REQUIREMENTS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume X, Issue 909, 23 September 1916, Page 5

King Country Chronicle Saturday, Sept. 23rd, 1916. DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND PUBLIC REQUIREMENTS.

The reply of the acting Post-master-General to the protests of the local bodies and public of this district to the expenditure of money on improvements of a permanent nature to the Te Kuiti post office 18, to say the least, disappuMnting While W8 recognise that the Ministerial head must be guided to a great extent by his departmental officers, the objections raised by Te Kuitians should have led to inspection of the post office and a personal conterence between the Minister and objectors The post office was erected about seven years ago, on plana and specifications of the Te Puke post office, and almost as soon as the contractor surrendered the building Government workmen were in possession effecting alterations, and to cope with the ever-increasing business alterations and patchwork has been the rule. Post offices are graded, and stereotyped plans and conditions govern the class, and no matter to what extent local and district advancement outstride the

requirements, grade is apparently. the only factor considered by the department, the officers of which are generally ignorant of the advancement of the district, an i natu?ally are not as optimistic as the residents who have assisted to build up and appreciate the advancement recorded. As a comparison with the want of enterprise on the part of the Postal Department in matters concerning Te Kuiti, we instance the erection of buildings in keeping with the volume of business transacted by the Bank of New Zealand, the Union Bank of Australasia, the securing of a valuable building site for its future quarters by the Bank of Australasia, the improved facilities offered by the Railway Department, the expenditure of public money in the improvement of the town. Against this progress we find that the town and district looses a faojily postmaster—o«'ing to his living quarters being required for the increased business, arid we understand that even the sleeping' quarters of the present postmaster has to be carry out the proposed improvements. That the subscribers to the telephone service—in accepting the increased cost of the continuous service—were entitled to experienced exchange clerks was a natural conclusion, hut apparently the Te Kuiti office ia a primary school in which juniors are educated up to a certain standard in postal and exchange work and when of some use to the postmaster and senior officials, they receive marching orders to some other district. No postmaster can give the general public satisfaction unless his staff has suitable conveniences and accommodation in the matter of favourable building conditions, and has a staff capable of carrying out their duties. The continual changes effected at Te Kuiti amongst the junior staff does not tend to efficiency, either from a departmental standpoint or the convenience of tha public. The propose d , additions can only be accepted as of a temporary nature, and if proceeded with will only ward"off the day when an up-to-date post office to meet the requirements of the distrust must be erected. We urge upon the acting Minister—-even at this the eleventh hour—the necessity of expending -*■ only sufficient money to provide temporary alterations to meet the immediate demands, and ask for a

personal inspection of the present buildings, when we 1 feel sure that the just demands of the protestors and the future assured development of postal business will warrant something more substantial than our present inadequate building and intended improvements.