POSTAGE RATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27197, 28 September 1949, Page 5

POSTAGE RATES

NO REDUCTION HEAVY INCREASE IN DUTIES PA WELLINGTON, Sept. 27. There was no chance in the world of giving back to the public the £600,000 which the extra penny on war-time postage charges yielded last year, said the Postmaster-general, Mr Hackett. in the House of Representatives this afternoon when various classes pt the Estimates under his control were discussed.

Mr Hackett, who was replying to a question raised by Mr J. T. Watts (Oppn., St. Albans) also added that the Post and Telegraph Department made , a surplus of approximately £IOO,OOO last year. In spite of increasing costs, it was hoped to continue to show a surplus.

To another questioner, Mr Hackett replied that if New Zealand were to keep up to date with world affairs and modern methods of communication she would have to send representatives to appropriate conferences overseas. ,

To Mr A. J. Murdoch (Oppn. Marsden) the Minister said that the blame for the inadequacy of the present post offices could be put on ,the previous Government for its lack of foresight in not making better provision for future expansion. The Minister said the department to-day was planning its operations seven years in advance. Mr E. B. Corbett (Oppn., Egmont) urged better staff facilities at rural post offices, some of which were in a condition in regard to staff amenities which no private employer would be allowed to get away with. The Post Office surplus had declined sharply last year, and it looked as if the department would be “in the red “ next year through being made the victim of socialist policies. , , . Mr Hackett denied that he had implied that the Post Office would be “ in the red ” next year. He had merely said it was not possible to reduce the postage rates. The duties of the Post Office had increased enormously in recent years with the growth of social security payments and other business, and often overtime had to be paid to enable the staff to keep up with this work. The cost of rCPnning the Post Office had therefore greatly increased. The Post Office votes were passed. “STATE OCTOPUS”

ROAD TRANSPORT SERVICES

COMPLAINTS IN HOUSE PA WELLINGTON. Sefrt. 27. Complaints at the growth of what they termed “the State octopus” in the road transport services were voiced by Mr W. A. Goosman and Mr S. W. Smith (Oppn members for Piako and Hobson respectively) during a discussion of the Transport Department Estimates in the House ot Representatives to-night. Mr Goosman said that 43 per cent, of the 8000 transport licences in New Zealand were held by ex-servicemen, testifying to the extent to which the industry had co-operated in making licences available to returned- men. However, the State had been buying up licences wherever it could and had done nothing to share these licences with ex-servicemen. State-owned trucks were not subject to the heavy traffic regulations and could take any ldad they liked on any road without penalty. Mr Smith said the State was "gobbling up” licences from one end of the country to the other to the detriment of ex-servicemen, and the State transport octopus was growing steadily. Mr Hackett said the heavy trucks of which Mr Goosman complained had Public Works licences. It was wrong to blame the Transport Department, which had gone out of its way to help ex-servicemen to obtain, transport licences The Transport Department itself did not own or operate the heavy vehicles complained of.