The Northern Advocate Daily WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1936. CHIEF POST OFFICE

Northern Advocate, 2 December 1936, Page 6

The Northern Advocate Daily

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1936. CHIEF POST OFFICE

(togl&tered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper.

The acquisition, of the County Council Chambers in Bank Street by the Post and Telegraph Department is a most important step in the progressive expansion of Northland. This is as it should be, however, because everything else in Northland is developing and expanding, not as fast as it should when all the advantages of the province are taken into consideration, but fairly fast for all that. In the brief period of eight years the butt erf at production in Northland increased from 8493 tons in 1926-27 to 24,954 tons in 1934-35. In the same time the number of suppliers increased from 4299 to 8474. Flocks have fluctuated, but sheep in Northland today probably exceed 700,000 in number. The- pig industry has expanded' enormously. The number of pigs slaughtered at Moere.wa in 1928.-29 was 8392; last year it was ; 72,004,. Over the same period, bobby calves handled at the works have gone up from 7723 to 99,170; cattle from 1097 to 15,393; lambs from 55,792 to 74,768; and from 2143 to 14.189. It will not be a. matter of surprise, therefore, to learn that the postal figures are advancing step by step with the progress of the district. It is only a few" years since the post office in Bank Street was altered ..and enlarged to deal with the growing volume of business. Since then the post office turnover, which is a direct indication of the stability and advancement of a town and district, lias increased to a very marked degree, fully taxing some of the departments so recently enlarged.

It is with a realisation of the growing importance of Whangarei, and a certainty of its further progression that the department has completed the present deal. Although the Director-General states that the matter is not one for immediate consideration, the acquiring of such a fine site, adjacent to the present building, must bring Whangarei closer to chief post office status. The purchase of the county building can be construed in no other way, more especially as Whangarei’s claims for such recognition are so strong. The extra accommodation and facilities required for the various departments which would come into being with the creation of a chief post office here will shortly be available, so that there remains no valid reason for refusing to Northland the advantages and privileges which a effief post office would offer.

If it were necessary to give reasons other than those I which have been advanced for the constitution of a chief post office in Northland we would point out that Whangarei is well over 100 miles from Auckland, its nearest chief post office, and the Far North is well over 100 miles from Whangarei. From the point of view of distance alone, the claims of Northland to chief post office status should command consideration, but greater even than distance may be mentioned territory. Territorially there are 1,966,902 acres of occupied land in the seven counties north of, and including, Otamatea. This is a huge expanse of territory over which postal and telegraphic supervision must be exercised.

| Can it be. done efficiently unless the supervising authority is located within its borders and possesses the necessary local knowledge which will enable him to administer his office with full understanding? We think not. The postal, telephonic and telegraphic j needs of the 65,000 people j living within this area are going | to increase and very soon many I improvements to out present serv- j ice will be required. As the | rural areas become better devel-1 oped and more accessible many j improvements in our mailing services will be required, and sooner or later a reduction in the number of telephone bureau exchanges will be demanded. Prom Wark worth to North Cape there are 35 telephonic exchanges, all of which demand tolls for serv-j ice. Northland is getting beyond| the stage of having to pay a toll [call for ringing a man six miles away. The toll call charge, fpr short-distance rings, in itself, is bad enough, but the loss of time entailed is worse and before long the people who make most use oi; this excellent facility will demand concentration on a reduced number of exchanges. Who better than a man on the spot is qualified, to deal so quickly and efficiently with the numerous local and domestic matters which will require adjustments and improvements as time goes on? We think the claim for chief post office grading in Northland is souficl, and that our postal, telephonic and telegraphic affairs should be governed from within the area by an authority who is thoroughly j well acquainted with local conditions.