MAILS FOR ENGLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21347, 23 November 1932, Page 12

MAILS FOR ENGLAND

CHRISTMAS POSTINGS

DESPATCH BY THE MARIPOSA

There was a great deal of last-minute posting to catch the mail despatched yesterday by the Mariposa, as this mail, due in London on December 20, will be the last to reach England with Christmas postings from New Zealand. Although heavy, the mail was not as great as would have been the case had the Niagara not taken a large portion of the Christmas postings only a week earlier. In addition to that, the Mariposa's mail was for specially-addressed matter, so that the amount carried is considered very satisfactory. "When the vessel sailed at 5 p.m. yesterday she had 22 bags of mail for the United States and Canada and 146 for the United Kingdom, whereas her ordinary mail consists of an average of about 60 bags. The amount of mail taken by the Mariposa demonstrated again the tendency of the public to leave its Christmas mail to the last possible moment. All the afternoon the lobbies at the chief post office were thronged with people and the rush continued right up to three o'clock when the ordinary mail closed. There was also heavy posting for the next hour until the late fee closed, and from then to five o'clock there were some who found it necessary to take their mail to the ship's side at the Prince's Wharf.

Although there will be no further mails leaving Auckland to reach England before Christmas, there will bo one more mail for the United States and Canada. This will be sent by the Maunganui, leaving Wellington on Tuesday and due in San Francisco on December 16. There will, however, bo one mail that will reach London just after Christmas with second-class matter. This will bo despatched by the Rangitiki from Napier on Friday, and will present an opportunity of posting copies of the Christmas Number of the Auckland Weekly News in time to reach England before the Now Year.