NEW POST OFFICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16041, 6 April 1914, Page 2

NEW POST OFFICE

OPENED BY POSTMASTER-GENERAL.

AT NORTH-EAST VALLEY.

The new post office at North-Eats Valley was opened on Saturday afternoon by the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, ' Postmaster-general. There was a very largo and at 3 p.m. tilt Minister, mounted on a plat-

form decollated with bunting, briefly declared the new building open. A tour of the bu'lding was then made. It is of brick, and is two storeys high; It is a combined office an<] postmistress'j residence. The olHcc portion, which is confined to the ground floor, comprises a vestibule Bft by sft, a'public office 20ft by 9ft, a telephone bureau room 4ft by 3ft 6in, a mail room of irregular farm, containing 280 sq feet, a telephone room Bft by sft, and a; private box lobby sft by sft, Tho residence, which is confined to tho upper floor, comprises a sitting room, 16ft by lift; two bedrooms, 14ft 6in by lift and 120 sq feet respectively, a kitchen, 12ft 6in by 10it 9in; a scullery, and a bathroom. A washhouse, and the usual conveniences for office and residence are provided in an outbuilding. The width of the building is 33ft 9in, and tho depth 40ft. .

After the inspection, the party adjourned to that hall nearby, where a number of addresses were given. The Mayor of Duned:'n- (Mr VV. Downie Stewart) presided, and. introduced Mr Rhodes, and amongst those* present were—Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P., Mr G. E. Statham, M.P. the Hon. J. T. PauL'M.L.C, and Cr; Green." The Hon. Mr Rhodes, in his address, expressed tho pleasure it wae to him to be present. He gave an interesting historical account of the North-East Valley postal district, and of the progress of that part of the city. A post office, opened at NorthEast Valley on January 1, 1875. was served by a daily mail. The postmaster was Mr W. J. Prictor. The office was,' however, closed at the end of 1878, being no longer required, owing to the extention to NorthEast Valley of the Dunedin letter carriers' delivery. In announcing, in his annual report for 1878:79, the establishment of lettercarriers' deliveries in the suburbs of Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, the Post-master-general made the following remarks, which applied, although perhaps not to the same extent, at the present day: —"The full advantage of these deliveries cannot be secured by tho public until the carriers are afforded greater facilities for delivering correspondence. Much time is lost (particularly in the case of the mounte dearriers) from the carriers having to walk a considerable distance off the roads to reach private residences. Not only this, but the 'postman's knock' is not, in many instances, promptly answered. These delays would disappear if householders would cause to bo ertcted at their front gates, or some other convenient part of their premises, receptacles for txe receipt of the correspondence to be delivered by letter-carriers." On February 2, 1885, a telephone office was opened, in charge of Mrs A* Walker, wife of. tho local police constable. Mrs Walker was succeeded, on' January 28, 1891, by Mr W. Cook, and, on the death of Mr Cook, in July, 1892, his widow was appointed. A post office, including a money order office and a savings bank, was oened, in Mrs Cook's charge, on October 24/1900. Representations having been made thp.t tho position of the office was unsuitable, the business was, on May 7, 1901, removed to a room in the Town Hall, and placed in charge of Miss M. M. B. Cook. A telegraph message boy was appointed to the office on the same date. The office was transferred to Mrs W. Duffy, the present postmistress, on Juiy 1, ,1908. From the date of re-opening of the post office, a twice-daily mail service was established between the post office at North-East Valley and the chief post office at Dunedin. The letter delivery -is now performed by letter-carrier with horse and gig. During the last 10 years the business of all branches' of the department's business at North-East Valley has largely increaeed. In 1903, the number of letters and postcards posted was 6710; end in 1913, 28,930. Other articles posted numbered 2380 and 8740 respectively. The postage revenue in 1903 was £51; and in 1913, £97. .In 1903, 109 money-orders were issued of the value of £250; and ■in 1913, 245 of £729. In 1903, 119 money-orders were paid of the value of £415; and in 1913, 369 # of £1463. In 1903, 217 savings bank deposits were made, amounting to £967; and in 1913, 793, amounting to £3820. In 1903, 17 savings banlj withdrawals were made amounting to £151; and in 1913, 100 amounting to £696. In 1903, 816 telegrams were forwarded of the value of £25; and in 1913, 1992 of the value of £56. Telegrams received for delivery to the residents numbered in 1903, 2581, and in 1913, 5564.

The contractors for the new building were Messrs A. Ty Anderson and Son, of Dunedin. The price was £1376. The 6ite of the new building was donated by the Borough Council. The site was a central one, and the. office served over 5000 people. Mr Theodore Arnold, formerly- town clerk, had kindly furnished the department with the following information regarding NorthEast Valley:—

In 1875, the city of Dunedin was supplied with water for , domestic purposes by the Dunedin Water Supply Company, and the then residents'of North-East. Valley, being desirous r of obtaining a water supply, approached the-company with that end in view. In order to facilitate matters, it was decided to form a portion of the district into a borough,- and at a meeting held at the private house of Mr Foulkes, Leitfa Walk, it was decided to take the necessary steps to cause the Government to proclaim that portion between the city boundary and Leith Walk to be a borough. No sooner, however, was this fact made publicly known, than an Agitation was commenced, residents objecting to the smallness of the proposed area, and, eventually, it wae decided to apply for the extension <jf the boundaries of the proposed borough as far as the Upper Junction .on the north. This was done, and the borough of North-East Valley was constituted in' October, 1877. Its area was 3980 acres. The main road at that time was only partially formed, and the new council adopted the functions of a State bank, issuing debentures in lieu of bank notes to its contractors. So the pioneering work proceeded until the floating of a general loan of £5000, which put the council in funds and enabled works to be undertaken more rapidly. The early difficulties experienced were very considerable; and it was not until 1890 that the rapid progress of the .borough commenced. In that year Mr T. Arnold was appointed town clerk and engineer. In the meantime the city of Dunedin had acquired the business of the Dunedin Water Supply Company, but no arrangements had been made for a supply for North-East Valley. In 1910, the residents demanded a poll upon the question of amalgamating .with the city of Dunedin. The result of the poll was that the borough became merged in Greater Dunedin. Thus the question' of water supply that called the borough into existence also brought about its abolition. The first Mayor of the borough of North-East Valley was Mr Isaac Green, elected in December, 1877. Mr Green was succeeded in 1878 by Mr Edmond J. Schlotel. Messrs Green and iSchlotel each in turn had a second term as Mayor, followed by Mr George Calder, in 1881-2. Mr G. M. Thomson M.P.,was glad to see Mr Rhodes present. Six years ago the borough of North-East Valley had donated the land on which the building was erected, in order to have a post office erected there. Afterwards they were merged into the city. In his first session in Parliament', in 1909, the speaker approached the Minister of Public Works,, and succeeded in having £1000 placed on the Estimates for the post office. It was proposed to put up a wooden building, but the speaker had strenuously set his fa-co against this, and the building they had opened that day was of brick. The figures given by the Postmaster-general were no indication of the volume of business that, the speaker was sure, would be done when the office was properly going for a time. The district was' a most prosperous one, and was a growing part of the city, which had deserved a poet office long ago. He was glad to see the public telephone box outeide, where it could be Tised at all times, and bo was sure that the public would show their appreciation of this by treating their own property —for that wae what it was—with The Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., was pleased to hear of the flourishing condition of tho postal work, since it showed the power of the people to manage a large institution in their collective capacity. He would like to say a word on the subject of parcel postage. One of the troubles in the city was the abnormal rise in the cost of living. If, by the''parcel post system, it were possible to brino- the consumer and the seller closer together the system should be valuable in decreasing tlie cost of living. A predecessor of Mr Rhodes in the office of PostmasterEeneral had introduced a scheme for tho carrying of fish by post and this did not appear to have been a groat success, but if the system of parcel postage could be extended the speaker wae euro it would prove a -valuablo thing. Cr Green referred to the difference m the district'of the North-East' Valley sinco his arrival in it 54 years ago. He thanked the. Minister for his efforts, and wished him and his Government every success. A motion of thanks to the Minister for his attendance, proposed by Mr G. Calder.

and seconded by Mr W. Mowut, was carried by acclamation, and tho Minister briefly responded. A vote of thanks was also accorded to the Mayor for having presided.