THE MAIL CLOSES

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 13886, 20 June 1938, Page 7

THE MAIL CLOSES

WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS. A RACE AGAINST TIME. \\ by does the Tost Office fix a time tor closing mails which represents an appreciable gap between that time and the actual departure of the train or steamer v This question is often asked, but the right answer can only be given by those who have an ‘ inside’'’ view of mail-room activities, and who know the many things which have to be done after the mail-box is emptied, and before the mail-bags speed away to the waiting train. Without tTifs knowledge one is apt to view the posting of a letter in the light of the individual transaction, though the immense mail business is providing a service to scores of thousands of clients the majority of whom find it most convenient to “clean up” their correspondence at the last moment before closing the office for the day. So the Post Office has a daily problem of the last-minute rush, when an avalanche pours in for the widest possible variety of destinations*. The public is generally able to separate overseas from inland correspondence when posting, but the mail-room staffs cannot take this for granted.

Steamers and trains do not wait for the Post Office, but it is a rule of the mail-room that every postal packet in the place at the time of closing a mail must be sorted. First comes the “facing up,” so that stamps can be quickly cancelled. Every letter in the big pile must be examined, so that it will not fail to get into the bag for the next despatch. whether within a few minutes. <>r in the case of overseas mails, possibly a few days. The thousands of postal packets have reached their proper bags according to destination, and this in some cases involves several sortings, bat the mail-room staff has not finished its iace against time. Letters must be tied in bundles, and a. letter bill prepared to go with the mail, specifying the office of origin and the destination, together with particulars of the mail enclosed in the bag. Each hag must, of course, be properly labelled, and a way-bill prepared for the whole route, because transport staffs. whether rail, st< amer or motor, must have their written instructions. Mail-bags are secured against interference on the journey by a special sealing process. The string for tvimr them is threaded through holes in a lead ~.»al. the < nds pulled tiehtIv together, and then knotted. Fin- - « seal is lamped s that the stung r nnot he withdrawn without destroying marks indicavmg the office of despatch shown by a ch'scripI on the lead • lamped. Thus there are manv things to be > afte 1 nail u 1 ' - fore it cn lie despatch.*d, hut all these things renrewent. the minimum n ciuir . « i : • > iti i SI letters < nirustul to the Post Office, and essential precautions that til' mails will reach their proper destinations with safety and promptitude.