ERECTION OF GATE LETTER-BOXES

Southland Times, Issue 24356, 10 February 1941, Page 7

ERECTION OF GATE LETTER-BOXES

GRATIFYING RESPONSE TO APPEAL There has been a most gratifying response to the appeals made by the Post Office for the erection of gate letterboxes. In recent months no fewer than 55,000 householders have erected boxes, with the result that 236,000 (or 86 per cent.) of the 275,000 householders in the

Dominion served by postmen are now directly easing the burden on individual postmen and helping the department to conserve its man-power at a time when this is essential in the national interest. Gisborne and Inglewood are two towns which have splendid records so far as the erection of boxes is concerned. In both these places every householder served by a postman has complied with the department’s request. Another town with a good record is Nelson, where there are 3620 householders and only 70 have not provided

boxes. The Post Office intends to make another appeal soon to those householders throughout the Dominion who have not yet complied with requests for the erection of letter-boxes at their gates. More than 1000 trained officers of the department have already been released for military service with the overseas forces, several hundred more are expected to be called up at an early date, and approximately 500 officers are at present undergoing territorial training. Coincident with this heavy drain on its trained staff, the Post Office has under-

taken many additional activities arising out of the war, and, in consequence of these extraordinary demands, it is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain fully its services to the public. By the provision of gate letter-boxes, householders can give the department real assistance