DELAYS TO MAILS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19893, 22 March 1939, Page 14

DELAYS TO MAILS

NAPIER-GISBORNE RUN EXPLANATION- OFFERED LETTER FROM CONTRACTOR His explanation of the dalays to the mail service operating between. Gisborne and Napier was received by the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon from Mr. T. W. Hercock, Napier, a principal of the Napier - Wairoa - Gisborne Tiansport, Limited, the contractors for the mail service. Mr. Hercock said that it had been his intention to be present at the meeting of the chamber, but municipal business had prevented him doing so. "I say without fear of contradiction that the individual supplying the information has a very meagre insight into the difficulties attending such a service and, for that reason, is not competent to criticise," wrote Mr. Hercock. "You will note that he offers only criticism without disclosing his name. "To start with, the road, contrary to his insertion, is in anything but an ideal state, and I say now that it is due to '.he rough surface that half the troubles are attributable." The writer pointed out that repairs to the truck were continually being carried out, and these caused most of the delays to the service. Citing one instance, Mr. Hercock said that last week the fan on one of the trucks broke, causing a stoppage to the vehicle on Mohaka Hill. This delay was followed by further mechanical trouble. Broken axles were caused through pot-holes and corrugations in roads. The writer pointed out that the service operated at night and telephones were many miles apart, as the writer had learned from bitter experience. Heavy Repair Bill "The repair bill would not only stagger some people; it would break them," declared Mr. Hercock, who added that during the flood period his company lost £I2OO to give Gisborne a service. Despite this, no assistance was sought nor were the freight charges raised. Only under actual travelling conditions could a true appreciation of the difficulties be obtained. All trucks carried spare.tyres, but it was difficult to know how some critics of the service would fare when four punctures were suffered by one truck in a single night, as this would mean the changing over of eight tyres, an operation which took some time. Mr. Hercock assured the chamber that the plane service" did not operate at all in toad weather, and the early morning train had been late on 20 occasions in February last, a further cause of delay, as mails from the south came to Napier by rail.

The chairman, Mr. H. H. DeCosta, said that the letter contained a large amount of information already known to the public.

Mr. R. W. J. Edwards pointed out that the chamber was not finding fault with the position, and suggested that Mr Hercock be told that the action arose out of an anonymous letter in the Press. This suggestion was adopted.