POSTAL BUSINESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 252, 19 September 1930, Page 8

POSTAL BUSINESS.

PALMERSTON NORTH FIGURES. A THRIFTY - COMMUNITY. Commenting upon the postal business nt Palmerston North, the president of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce, in his annual report, states: ■ —“The Palmerston North postal district may. roughly be said to include the area within a line drawn from Rangiwahia, through Bulls, Foxton, Manakau, Pahiatua and Dannevirke, and the following comments refer to the whole of the district mentioned. In so far as postal, telegraph, tolls, and moneyorder and savings banks activities are concerned, the Palmerston North district stands sixth in order of importance when compared with other New Zealand postal districts, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin and Hamilton being the districts which are ahead of Palmerston North. In common with most other postal districts in the Dominion, an excess of withdrawals over deposits is shown for the period under review, but the following return, which has been taken out for the period covering the financial year of the Chamber of Commerce just ended, and which deals with the activities of the Chief Post Office, Palmerston North only, indicates that the business of the local Chief Post Office shows no signs of decreasing. It should also be mentioned that the average amount standing to the credit of each open account in Palmerston North at the close of the financial year was £7O 10s lOd, being the highest average of any postal district in New Zealand. The figures are as follow: 1928-29. Postal notes paid 111,859 Money-orders issued 15,357 Money-orders paid 14,771 Deposits 41,563 Withdrawals 35,629 1929-30. Postal notes paid 133,151 Money-orders issued 16,852 Money-orders paid ■ 17,367 Deposits 47,325 Withdrawals ... ... ...• 44,816 “The introduction of the carrier current system has enabled additional channels to be opened up for toll communication between Palmerston North and Hamilton, Napier, Hawera and Wellington. This system, together with the innovation of direct dialling of wanted subscribers by the toll operators, considerably enhances the efficiency of the toll service. “To enable bsuiness firms and others who may wish their correspondence to be delivered quicker than is the case by ordinary overseas mails, arrangements have been made with the United Kingdom, Australian and American administrations for correspondence to be delivered by air mail. _ In the case of Australia and America such correspondence is picked up by the air mail service at the port of arrival and sent on to its destination. Such correspondence for the United Kingdom is picked up at Karachi and then continues by air.

•‘About March last a Morkrum teleprinter was installed at this office and in Wellington in order to speed up the traffio in telegraphic work between the two offices mentioned. The machine has rendered excellent service, and messages are subject to a minimum of delay.”