REPEATED DELAYS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19885, 11 March 1939, Page 4

REPEATED DELAYS

MAILS FOR GISBORNE 18 TIMES IN H 3 DAYS BUSINESS MEN COMPLAIN Strong resentment at the repeated delays in the arrival of inward mail for Gisborne is expressed by business men who on a number of occasions in the past few weeks have found themselves inconvenienced through this cause. It is stated that the position recently has been worse than for many years, and the question arises as to what the situation will be in tho winter months when delays art* apparently unavoidable under almost idea! road and weather conditions.

One business man who has kept a careful check since the beginning of February states that on no fewer than 12 occasions since February 1 the south mail has been an hour or more late in reaching Gisborne. On five of these occasions the connection with the East Coast service has been missed and on two the town delivery has been affected.

It was pointed out that to-day's mail did not reach Gisborne until about 11 o'clock and that, in con.soquehce, the mail would not be delivered* .until .Monday, .two daVs .late.

Connections Missed

The mail from the north has apparently been less affected, but this has been late en six occasions since the beginning of February, and on three of these days the connection with the Coast was missed. On four days both north and south mails were late, the position being aggravated in these instances because of the overlapping of work in the mail-room. Summarising the position, it was pointed out that the southern mail had been late in arriving on more than one week-day in every three and the north mail on cne day in six.

When this question was referred to the Post Office authorities, it was admitted that delays had ocurred in the arival of the' mail, but the causes were beyond their control. In order to give the public the best possible service the mail-room staff was assembled at 5 o'clock in the morning. When the mail-trucks were late additional stafT was provided, Coast despatches were held back wherever it was practicable, and, if it was possible, the start of the town delivery was delayed in order to give delivery of "the mail. It was admitted, however, that there had been occasions when all the ingenuity of the staff had failed to counteract the late arrival of the mail-trucks.