FALLING-OFF IN MAILS

Southland Times, Issue 24011, 29 December 1939, Page 4

FALLING-OFF IN MAILS

CHRISTMAS POSTING PERIOD

MANY MORE CARDS THAN IN FORMER YEARS

The quantities of Christmas mail posted and received at the Chief Post Office, Invercargill, this year were smaller than for the corresponding period last year. The impression gained in the mail room during the Christmas posting period was that many more Christmas cards were sent this year than in former years. From December 18 to December 23 1495 bags of ordinary mail were received at the Chief Post Office compared with 1685 bags last year,, in which the corresponding period was December 19 to December 24. These figures may not perhaps be a true indication of the position; because of a shortage of ordinary mail bags parcel receptacles were used for the forwarding of mail. These receptacles hold about twice as much as the ordinary mail bags. There was a slight increase in the number of parcels received, 563 receptacles being used, compared with. 521 last year. OUTWARD POSTINGS

Outward postings of mails and par- . cels also snow decreases. This year in the Christmas period 1363 bags of ordinary mail were despatched compared with 1602 bags last year. The postings of parcels required 380 receptacles where 433 were used in the corresponding period of 1938. The city postmen worked long hours • but there was a falling-off in the number of overflow bags used, 847 being needed this year compared with 1071 last year.