CHRISTMAS MAILS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20291, 27 December 1927, Page 13

CHRISTMAS MAILS.

ALL-ROUND INCREASE. WORK AT DUNEDIN POST OFFICE. Returns compiled by tho Dunedin Post Office officials show that the volume of business transacted in all branches of the service at tho local office during the four days prior to Christmas was in excess of that of last year. The staff worked nt high speed during tho four days in order to cope with the heavy Christmas mails, both inward and outward. Tho following table shows the complete returns of tho mail room branch for tho four days, as compared with tho returns for Christmas week of 1926: MAIL BAGS AND PARCEL RECEPTACLES. Despatched. Received. Dec. 1926 1927 1926 1927 21 1056 1056 1069 1174 22 1044 1190 978 1116 23 915 1035 1029 974 24 915 904 861 1012 Totals 5930 4185 3937 4276 TRANSIT. BAGS AND HAMPERS. Dec. 1926 1927 21 194 285 22 210 303 23 201 369 24 131 182 Totals 736 1139 AMOUNT OF STAMP SALES. Tho sales of stamps show that tho posting was very heavy during the four days. Tho general stamp business this year show’s a slight decrease, as tho following complete returns will show’ Dec. 1926 1927 ■2l £1099 18 10 £584 1 3 22 401 15 8 665 18 li 23 519 6 7 650 16 2 24 270 1 8 231 11 6 Totals £2300 0 9 £2132 7 Oi TELEGRAPH TRAFFIC. Although the traffic at the Dunedin Telegraph Office was very heavy during tho four days, tho financial returns show a decrease in the telegrams forwarded and received. On tho other hand, there was a big increase in the number of messages transmitted. Inland and cable messages wore handled in large numbers on Saturday, tho multiplex machine printing system and other circuits being kept busy throughout tho day. All the lines worked well, and the “ clear ” signal was received from the main north stations at 2 a.m. It was not until 3 a.m., however, that tho delivery branch closed, and numerous and heavy suburban deliveries had to be prepared for immediate despatch nt 8 a.m. Owing to tho fact that the usual halfholiday was observed on Saturday, business for « Christmas Eve was not so heavy as rcgaids messages received and forwarded but me number transmitted was considerably in excess of tho number handled during the corresponding day last year. Tho whole staff worked expeditiously and tho telegraph messengers who, of course, had a strenuous time, received their usual Christmas gifts during Saturday evening. Tho following table shows tho complete returns for the four days, as compared with figures for tho corresponding period last year:— Forwarded Received Transmitted Dec 1926 1927 1926 1927 1926 1927 21 2053 2094 5123 3141 2506 2651 22 2314 2465 3370 3503 5084 3603 23 336 S 3613 4626 4801 4967 6229 24 4147 3020 6246 4234 10,794 11,024 Totals 11,837 11,197 17,365 15,584 21,351 23,507 THE AUCKLAND FIGURES. HUGE VOLUME OF BUSINESS. (Special to Daily Times.) AUCKLAND, December 26. A great volume of mail matter was handled by the Auckland postal staff during the four days preceding Christmas Day. On Wednesday, when tho rush had fairiy sot in, the Auckland office despaired 1115 mail bags and 879 parcel receptacles. It received 1602 mail bags and 527 parcel receptacles, and handled 135 mail bags and 21 parcel receptacles in transit. 'The pressure of mail matter continued at much the same high level for the next two days, only slackening a little when Christmas F-vo was The total fur the four days was ,3810 mail bags and .3049 parcel receptacles despatched; 4-30(3 mail bags and ISO 1 parcel receptacles received, and 258 mail bags and SS parcel receptacles handled in transit. The stamp sales on Wednesday totalled £1230, on Thursday £1578. on Fridav £1416. and on Saturday £408; malting a total of £4702 for the four days.