MAILS FOR SOLDIERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23816, 18 November 1940, Page 9

MAILS FOR SOLDIERS

REDUCTION OF AIR RATES YEAR'S HEAVY DESPATCHES [BY TELEGRAPH —I'RKSS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Saturday The Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. Webb, announced to-day that as from November 22 the postage rate 011 air mail letters from New Zealand to members of the New Zealand and Australian forces abroad, irrespective of destination, will be reduced from Is 6d to 9d. It is emphasised that the concession is to apply only to letters not exceeding half an ounce, and which are forwarded by the Empire air service via Australia. Letters weighing more than half an ounce will require to be'paid, at the full rate of Is 6d for each half-ounce or fraction thereof. Figures supplied by the PostmasterGeneral. tiie Hon. P. Webb, to-day. indicated that since the beginning of the year over -100 tons of mail matter for the troops have been despatched from New Zealand, the volume practically doubling itself in each quarter. * The actual weights are: —JanuaryMarch, HO tons; April-June, 65 tons: July-September, 127 tons; October, 116 tons; November (one week), SO tons; total, 418 tons. Figures in respect of parcels included in those mails are: —JanuaryMarch. number 7190, weight 29,8501b; April-June, 22,435 and 78,5771b; JulySeptember, 49.632 and 185,6931b; October, 52,996 and 237,8571b. Mails for the overseas forces are dealt with in a special section of the post office at each of the four centres, and the sorting of letters, newspapers and parcels at this end is done in such a manner as to expedite delivery upon their arrival at Army base post offices overseas.