Apiti Settlers Opposed To New Mail Service

Manawatu Times, Volume 70, Issue 281, 28 November 1945, Page 8

Apiti Settlers Opposed To New Mail Service

DEPUTATION TO POSTMASTER GENERAL.

The settlers of Apiti are emphatically opposed to the proposed alteration of the mail service between Feilding and Apiti, and at Monday’s meeting of the Feilding Chamber of Commerce it was agreed to associate with the settlers on a deputation of protest to the Postmaster General.

When the subject was brought before tho Chamber on Monday evening the following letter from the Postmaster General in reply to the Chamber's protest was read to the' meeting: —"I have to inform you that Mr. Prujean a returned serviceman of the 1914-18 war has performed this service for a number of years and has given satisfaction. For that reason Mr. Prujean was recently offered a renewal of bis contract which expires at the end of this year. Ho declined to accept for a further term, however, unless his subsidy was increased by £6l) per annum and on the basis of his profit and loss account this increase clearly was not warranted. As you are no doubt aware the route traversed by Mr Prujean is duplicated by the contractor for the Apiti-Eidge Koad rural delivery (Mr. Scantlebury) and in consequence the Post Office has had to meet the running costs of two mail services between Feilding and Apiti. The Post Office is run as a commercial concern, although in its conduct of mail services it may not expect each and every service to pay its way. In expending public moneys, however, it must pay due attention to economy, particularly where the elimination of wasteful expenditure can be achieved, while still giving satisfactory service to the public. This attitude in relation to the expenditure of public moneys cannot be regarded as other than correct, and in the light of this explanation you will not be surprised to learn that it has been the intention of the Department for some time to amalgamate the Feilding-Apiti and the ApitiEidge Road services at the first opportunity in order to obviate this uuvvarranted duplication of mail running. The idea was to have the mails carried without the necessity of retracing either the main road or Ridge road. In view of Mr. Prujean's past services however, it was decided before considering amalgamation further to afford him another opportunity of retaining his present contract and public tenders were accordingly invited for the performance of the Feilding-Apiti service. Mr. Scantlebury however, submitted a much lower tender than that submitted by Mr. Prujean. Mr. Scantlebury is a returned serviceman of the present war. In view of the circumstances therefore my Department had every justification for accepting the lower tender. The amalgamation of the two services will take effect from January 1, 1946.

‘ ‘ The representations of your chamber have been very carefully considered but as the new arrangement will give the settlers a good service, will retain the daily frequency and will be more economical from the point of view of expenditure of public funds, I regret I see no reason for departing from the decision to amalgamate the two services.—Yours faithfully, F. Jones."

With tho aid of a blackboard the postmaster (Mr. A. L. Bell) explained the proposed change in the mail service. Actually three services wero involved, namely, Kimbolton, Rangiwahia and Apiti. At present Mr. Prujean's service left Apiti each morning for Feilding and returned again in the evening. On the return journey he brought with him a mail for the rural delivery from Apiti to Rangiwahia and on to Kimbolton which was handled by Mr. V. Jones who left Kimbolton each morning for Apiti and did the round trip to Rangiwahia. The other trip at present being done was that carried out by Mr. Scantlebury who left Feilding each morning and travelled to Apiti via Colyton and Ridge Road and returned via Kimbolton. What was proposed was the elimination of the mail handled by Mr. Prujean and handing the service over to Mr. Scantlebury who would ag from January 1 next travel from Feilding each morning via Kimbolton to Apiti and down the Ridge Road via Colyton to Feilding arriving at about 11 a.m. The Apiti mail would in future be made up each afternoon and would leave per Mr. Scantlebury early the following morning and he would bring tho Apiti mail to Feilding at 11 a.m. each day.

Mr H. V. Hubbard remarked that the change might be satisfactory but he understood that there was more in the position than the altered mail service. Mr. P. G. Guy said that he had been up to Apiti and a monster petition was being drawn up protesting against the change after almost 50 years and this was to go to the Postmaster General The contention of the Apiti settlers is that the existing servico which they had enjoyed for many many years whereby the mail went out each morning and a mail was received each evening should be retained and they could sec no justification whatsoever for the proposed change. Under the proposed new arrangement the mail would go out one day and back tho next day and this would not give tho settlers the same speedy service they had had over the years. At present a message could go out in the morning and the reply'be received back in the afternoon. If it were urgent medicine it might mean the saving of a life and one life saved was worth more than the paltry £2OO which the altered service was supposed to save. He suggested a. deputation to the Postmaster General to assist the protest of the Apiti settlers. ‘ 1 It is the duty of Feilding and of the Chamber of Commerce to insist upon the provision of the best facilities for the country districts and if we cannot improve them then we should not make them worse," he declared. The president said that all could rest assured that the Postal Department had given the matter very full and careful consideration. Mr. Bell had done all he could to represent the views of the Chamber. Mr. Hausmann seconded the motion and felt that the Postmaster General had not appreciated the position. The change would deprive returned soldiers in the employ of Mr. rrujean of rehabilitation. Mr. K. M. Little said that as far as he could see the new service, instead of improving the facilities for the back country, tended towards making the settlers of Apiti more remote and less attractive to labour for the farms. It would be wrong to proceed to reduce the facilities enjoyed by the back country settlements of Feilding when they should bo„developed to encourage greater settlement. Mr. G. J. Fitzpatrick considered that tho existing mails should be retained and he did not feel that the Postal Department had justified any alteration. The motion for a deputation was carried and Messrs Guy and Hausmann with power to add were appointed to represent the Chamber and associate with Apiti settlers in proceeding to Wellington. Mr. M. IT. Oram is to be asked to introduce the deputation.

The death has occurred of Mr. J. W. Sunderland, Labour member of the House pf Commons for Preston.