AT HIGH PRESSURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 546, 26 December 1928, Page 11

AT HIGH PRESSURE

68,223 TELEGRAMS HANDLED OPERATORS WORK OVERTIME Monday was a record-breaking day for the Auckland Telegraph Office, when 9,653 messages were forwarded, 12,446 were received, and 46,124 were transmitted, making a total of 68,223 messages handled. This is the biggest total ever handled in any one day by the office. On the busiest day last year, 54,998 messages were handled. The grand total of telegrams for the three days this year was 121,177, compared with 119,748 last year the previous record for the Christmas period. In 1926 the aggregate was 115,011. _ . . A total of 210 operators and about 35 supernumaries was required to cope with the rush on Christmas Eve. Many worked almost continuously for 24 hours. Telegrams commenced to pour in early on Friday. The office closed at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The Hon. J. B. Donald, Postmaster-General, was a visitor to the operating-room later in the night, and watched the hundreds of machines at work. Cheers were given for the Minister by the staff, and Mr, Donald provided light refreshments for the operators. At 5 o’clock yesterday morning the last telegram was dispatched, and the “all clear” signal was received shortly afterwards, though many of the staff did not get away until 8 o’clock, after working with little rest for almost 24 hours. Several men were forced to remain checking up till noon, and arrived home just in time for Christmas dinner, returning to duty three hours later to complete arrangements for the delivery of suburban messages first thing this morning. Work was lightened considerably by the large number of the Telegraph Department’s standard Christmas greetings, which were handed in, but still several hundreds of messages liad to be sent or received in full. The following figures show the number of messages handled on Friday, Saturday and Monday, Christmas Eve: Forwd. Reed. Trmtd. Total Friday .. .. 4,927 7,623 12,775 25,325 Saturday .. 4,852 5,273 17,504 27,629 Monday .. 9,653 12,446.46,124 68,223 Grand total 121,177 The returns for the three working days immediately preceding Christmas Day last year were: Forwd. Reed. Trmtd. Total Thursday .. 4,651 7,119 13,723 25,493 Friday .. .. 8,042 9,182 22,033 39,257 Saturday . . 6,054 9,915 39,029 54,998 Grand total .. 119,748 Last Saturday was one of the busiest days ever experienced by the Postal Department, thousands of parcels were delivered to the Chief Post Office from steamers and trains, in addition to letters and postcards. Overtime was the lot of almost every man in the office, and a special delivery was made in the city and suburbs on Saturday afternoon to make room for a further rush on Monday. Several postmen arrived at work at 4 o’clock on Monday morning in taxicabs hired at their own expense, to secure an early start.

No deliveries will be made to-day, but services will recommence tomorrow.