THE RISING TIDE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 13 December 1938, Page 8

THE RISING TIDE

BIG MAIL FIGURES EARLY POSTING NEEDED The expected rush of mails has commenced early, and Post Office staffs working cheerfully on the task of facilitating exchanges of seasonable gifts and messages through the mails, the parcel post, the telegraph, end the telephone, are hoping that the volume of business will keep at a high level so that everything will be completed in good time before Christmas. • There is every evidence that “Post Early” advice is wise, not only for the sake of the postal staffs, but the securing of delivery in good time, because, as Christmas approaches, trains become crowded with passengers and their luggage and there is not much room left for an abnormal consignment of mail bags. Though there are extra trains, occasions may arise when second-class postal matter, such as parcels and small packets, may have to be excluded from the fastest trains. As perishable articles can be sent by parcels post, customers of the Post Office should bear in mind that the closer to Christmas the date of posting the less certainty there will be of the fastest train being available for transit. The heavy volume of outward mail for the Empire air service gives a plain indication of what may be expected with the inland mails at an early date. There were six despatches across the Tasman during the eight days ending 7th December connecting with the Empire air mail for England, and the total number of letters in these mails nearly reached half a million. These will be delivered in England between 15th and 22nd December. The New Zealand inland air mails are already showing record proportions. They carried, during the week ended 4th December, 53,154 letters and 531 parcels, making a total which had not been previously reached, not even during Christmas week last year. These air mail services have been carrying over 50,000 letters every week for several weeks, a proportion of this extended business being due to use of New Zealand air services to make quick connections for overseas despatches at Auckland or Wellington at the last moment. There is still some ignorance regarding rates of postage on overseas letters, recent official checks showing that the proportion of underpaid correspondence for Empire countries was between 10 and 13 per cent., and for the United States (in respect to which the 2£d minimum applies) 25 per cert, of deficient postages.