Leaking Parcels

Northern Advocate, 15 January 1948, Page 4

Leaking Parcels

The thoughtlessness of some members of the public was clearly demonstrated this morning when an Advocate reporter was shown a mailbag in the Whangarei Post Office. The bag contained a tin with a loose lid. in which had been packed a consignment of tomatoes. These had burst in transit and the inside of the mailbag was filthy with decomposing tomatoes. Considerable time was lost in drying out and cleaning the other parcels to make them fit for delivery. Yesterday a case of plums and another package of soft fruit had been received in such a condition that the labels could not be read. INADEQUATELY PACKED The two packages were in such a state that they had to be disposed of, and it was only by good fortune that the sender was not faced with claims for damages from owners of the other parcels in the bag. This sort of thing is not the only problem faced by post office employees, as some people even send eggs through the post without making any attempt tc- pack them carefully. The mess that a parcel of this nature can cause in a mailbag that has to Pe handled on and off trains and trucks can well be imagined. ENTITLED TO REFUSE Postal regulations state that soft fruits must be packed so that the juice cannot leak out. The most suitable type of container is one that is liquidtight, and this should be packed in wood, metal or strong cardboard, with sufficient sawdust or other absorbent material to absorb any liquid that might escape. Postal officers are entitled to refuse to accept any package 6f fruit that is not properly wrapped and will mark doubtful ones “Post Office accepts no risk.” Inadequately packed soft fruit presents a serious risk and renders the sender liable to a claim for damages to other parcels.