“POST EARLY”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 18 December 1936, Page 4

“POST EARLY”

INTERESTING REASONS GIVEN RECORDS ALREADY BROKEN HELP THE POSTMAN The'Post Office has been using the newspaper advertising columns for "Post Early” advice because the volume of seasonal business has already given several vivid indications of how records are going to be broken in connection with the pleasant exchanges of greetings by letter, telegram, and through the medium of packets and parcels post.

AIR MAIL FOR UNITED KINGDOM Early posting was necessary for overseas Christmas correspondence, and here came the first indication of how the business tide was going to rise in this great State Department. In the air mail sections, correspondence which could be delivered before Christmas in the United Kingdom and on the Continent left New Zealand on 29th November —a record total of 12,918 letters, compared with the modest figures for 1935 Christmas postings which were 4,928. In seven months the gross revenue of the Post Office has increased (compared with seven months-of last year) by £200,000, of which increased postages account for £74,000.

MAILS OF RECORD PROPORTIONS

Mails of record proportions involve a two-way responsibility for the Post Office, because inward business usually keeps well up to the proportions o’* the outward business. For instance, the Wairangi, recently arrived from England, carried 1,085 bags of mail, the heaviest single consignment for some years, while the Aorangi, with English mails via Vancouver, brought to New Zealand 1,460 bags of mail and 522 receptacles filled with parcels. OUTWARD MAILS BREAK ALL RECORDS Outward Christmas mails for overseas have this year broken all records. The four despatches during November can be compared with four of November, 1935, with the following results:— 1935 1936 Letters (lbs) 18,467 23,068 Other articles (lbs) 91,310 125,863 The increase in letters equals 25 per cent., and in other articles 37 per cent. The overseas parcels despatches have increased similarly, two shipments of November, 1935, having totalled 7,6791b5, while two recent despatches comprised 10,5341b5, another 37 per cent, increase. THE PACKET POST The packet-post is a popular method of conveying greetings, a handkerchief or other small article being enclosed with a message. The Post Office wishes senders to know that although these packets are carried at less than the letter rate and must not contain letters, there is no objection to including in them the name and address of the sender, for this prevents many disappointments owing to incomplete or wrong addresses. If a misdirected packet merely contains a greeting from someone only indicated by a Christian name, the Dead Letter Office is Unable to return it t£> the sender. SPECIAL GREETINGS TELEGRAMS

Equipment and personnel have been greatly extended this year, the Post Office permanent staff being now nearly 10,000, having increased by„ 10 per cent, since the 1935 Christmas rush was handled. It is suggested that goodwill messages left to the last few days can best be sent with certainty of delivery by special greetings telegrams. Last Christmas and New Year the Post Office delivered 272,000, and it is prepared this year to handle many thousands more by the appropriate date.