LOSS OF MAIL BAG

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVIII, Issue 212, 6 August 1928, Page 6

LOSS OF MAIL BAG

delay in announcement.

SOAIE POINTED REMARKS,

Per Press Association

INVERCARGILL, Aug. 5. Some pointed remarks deprecating the- considerable delay in announcing the loss of the mail bag from the night express on Sunday, July 29, "ere made bv. business men on Saturday, tire consensus of opinion being that the senders of 'the mail were entitled to know of the occurrence as early as possible, .in order that arrangements could be made to prevent unnecessary inconvenience. . “There is no doubt that immediate publicity would have proved valuable In the detection of the crime . said tho manager of an agency business, who deals with clients in all panes of the South Island. “As it is, a whole week has elapsed and the criminal has been given ample opportunity to perfeet Ins organisation for the disposal of the valuable contents of tlie mail. Had tlie loss been announced immediatelv people in all pains of the Dominion would have been watchful for anv suspicious movements, and lntormation leading to the early apprehension of the thief might have been the t j iat the registered mail could be stolen as easih- as the ordinary mail was 'the subject of indignant comment bv another man, who expressed tho opinion that the registered mad should be carefully handled to eliminate the risk of theft. According to the district traffic manager, Mr J. Pickard, the -Theft would not fie so simple as might be thought, since porters were in attendance at the van until the actual time of departure of the train, when they closed the do “lt’/lias been ascertained,” continued Air Pickard, “that there was no possibility of the theft between Invercargill and Dunedin. When the train reaches Dunedin the van door is opened by porters, who remain by it un-til'tbev have finished their work, when the"doors are closed again. Bor anyone to have gone out of a carriage and to have deliberately walked into the guard’s van is incredible. _ There is an element of grave risk since the guard is likely to return to Ins van at any time. There is also tho possibility of being seen by passengers in the compartment next to the van.’

A mail bag containing a quantity of registered mail was stolen from tho lan of the night express which left Invercargill at 6.40 p.m. on the Sunday before fast, but this information was not conveyed to the Press until lato on Friday night.