THE CHRISTMAS MAIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20136, 22 December 1928, Page 14

THE CHRISTMAS MAIL.

COPING WITH THE RUSH. BUSY SCENE IN MAILROOM.

POSTMEN WORK LONGER HOURS

One of the busiest places in Auckland just now is the mailroom at the chief post office. The usual Christmas rush set- in at the beginning of the week and has steadily increased, The peak is expected to* be reached on Monday. The mailrobm is a hive of industry. The largest staff available is working from early morning until well on in the evening sorting letters and parcels and generally arranging thorn for delivery. Some Idea of the volume of business ffifvy be gleaned from the fact that every day this week about 500 bags of parcels have v been handled each day.

Although the number of parcels arid letters which will be handled this Christmas is likely to create a record the rush has not been au noticeable as in years past, because the work has been more evenly distributed. The postal authorities are thankful that overseas mail arrived at Auckland early in the week by the Niagara and the Marama from Sydney. They were able to dispose of this before the volume of local traffic became severe. In past years the rush of overseas and local mail have come together.

Last year, when Christmas Day fell on a Sunday, people were given less time in which to make purchases and m&il them away. However, the wdrst is yet to come. Thousands of packages and letters will be posted all over the Domill* ion during the week-end and an unusually heavy day is anticipated on Mondav.

A development in the postal business during the past three years is the steady increase in parcels This is probably due to the fact that people who in years past have sent Christmas cards to their friends are now making small purchases. The tendency is for local firms to exhibit at this time of the yqar a variety of useful presents, which cost little more than an elaborate card. The number of Christmas cards, however, is still great. They are nearly always recognisable by their large envelopes, and envelopes of this nature were piled high in the sorting room yesterday. , Postmen are working longer hours to cope with the rush. During the past week they have commenced their duties at seven o'clock and have continued delivering mail, with short respites for meals, until nine o'clock in the evening.