MAIL NOTICES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3567, 24 June 1872, Page 2

MAIL NOTICES.

TO THE EDITOE OF THE LYTTELTON TIMES

Sir, —If your readers are not tired with the amount of ventilation given to the subject ef Post Office Mail Notices I will venture to say that all the writers, to the best of my belief, have been hitting at the wrong mark. The whole onus of the matter rests on the fact that the vessels are not subsidized, and consequently the captains or agents do not feel it incumbent on them to give information which may probably lead to the detention of their veseels ; moreover, in many cases they have no knowledge of when they may start, as cargo frequently presents itself at the last moment which they prefer to take rather than leave to advertised time. Sometime since a friend of mine had to go to Auckland, the vessel was to sail atl p.in.—he arrived at port by noon train and went on board at once—but not seeing any signs of departure ho kept on asking the different officers when they would start, the answer invariably was “ directly,” and in this way he was detained until 7 p.m. At Wellington the steamer was not to stop more than an hour, or at the most 2 hours, she remained 4 hours. At Nelson a time was appointed for our departure, but on arriving at the wharf before the time, he found the vessel wider weigh, and could only save his passage by paying a waterman several pounds to take him a short out.

I think, to cut the matter short, it may be said that as long as no subsidy is paid for conveyance of mails no reliable information can be expected, cargo and passengers being the business of those concerned. The small amount allowed for the carriage of letters forms no item in the many matters they have to consider. While our mails are earned for next to nothing in the colony wo may hopelessly growl about a definite time being fixed for their departures ; the work may bo done cheaply, bat certainly not well. If “ passenger on board the vessel cannot ascertain the time for starting during a whole six hours delay, it is not probable that tho Post-master, at Lyttelton, or still loss at Christchurch, will be taken into the confidence of captain or agent. I can vouch that during 7 or 8 years I have beep continually dunned by the Post-master at Lyttelton and Christchurch for prolonged notices, which I have been perfectly unable to give in consequence of cargo turning up at the lost moment on the arrival of each train.

I also consider it is the public's own fault if they do not have their correspondence, as well os cargo, ready to advertised time, for R i»

own-diiat(»y, .way-. o£ : forwarding, the, latter at the last moment which causes the de ” tentiou of steamers* 1 . Tour obedient serront, LTTTELTONXAN.