LATE POSTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24221, 13 February 1940, Page 15

LATE POSTING

OVERSEAS LETTERS MAY BE DELAYED EXERCISE OF CENSORSHIP (Special to Daily Times) . AUCKLAND. Feb. 12. The admission that persons would be unwise to post letters by overseas mail immediately before the time of closing if they wanted to be certain that these would make the desired connection was made by a Wellington officer of the Censorship Department, of which Mr G. McNamara, until last year Postmaster-general is the controller. The statement was made in the course of a telephone conversation with the New Zealand Herald when the following letter addressed to the editor from a business man was read to him:— “Do I understand that every letter leaving New Zealand for England is censored? If so what happens to letters posted to catch an air mail? I strongly suspect that after paying 5s or 7s 6d for a letter same is held up for the following air despatch thus rendering void the haste to catch an sir mail to say nothing of the expense. Can the authorities enlighten us? ’’

The officer who discussed the situation in the absence of Mr McNamara said it was obvious that with a censorship in existence, letters intended for any particular mail should be posted in sufficient time to permit of any censorship that might be exercised. When asked whether it was the practice to open ell air mail letters for examination as had been suggested, or whether any other system was followed, the officer indicated that he was not prepared to answer the questions in any way. There might be reasons why such matters should not be discussed.