MAIL SERVICES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23257, 19 July 1945, Page 4

MAIL SERVICES

Irregular Deliveries Drivers Have Difficult ’ Time The effect of Saturday's record snowstorm is being felt in many directions in South Canterbury. Telegraph and telephone services are still very much interrupted, while the del’very of mails and newspapers is spasmodic. As far as the telegraphic services are concerned, contact has not- yet been established between Timaru and Christchurch direct, although Dunedin can communicate with the Christchurch Telegraph Office on the multiplex system. which operates through the telegraph office here. Both Timaru and Ashburton are being serviced through the radio station at Awarua. messages received there being handled through Dunedin. A small amount of traffic is being handled by the Post and Telegraph radio in Timaru. but now that the multiplex system is operating, it will ease the pressure on the radio. Two toll circuits have come into commission between Timaru and Ashburton, and these will be put through to Christchurch as soon as the repair gangs operating in the north reach Ashburton. Considerable damage was caused by wind even before the snowstorm. and the Department was unable to state yesterday when a through service could be expected. The delivery of mails, newspapers and bread in some of the country districts has presented considerable difficulty. and some areas are being reached only every third day. In many places the roads have been impassable in places, while in practically all areas the drivers had been forced to leave the cars in the middle of the roads and walk to the mail boxes. This naturally has been the cause of considerable delay and only part of each round has been completed by dark. On Monday many of the roads had cleared sufficiently to enable tlie cars to make some progress, but the sides were still in a frozen and treacherous state. Quite a number of side roads were completely blocked. Most of the mail drivers commence their rounds between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.. and on Monday they were still on their rounds as dusk was falling. By tills time the surfaces had commenced to freeze again, and further deliveries had to be abandoned. The position improved slightly on Tuesday’ and again yesterday, but in a number of places the snow has piled up to a considerable depth in the vicinity of mail boxes, and the drivers assert that they cannot hope to reach the boxes until some effort is made to clear a track. Assistance by farmers in tills direction would be appreciated and would assist in speeding up the service. The districts most affected by the storm are Bluecliffs, Hook-Hunter, Maungati. Burke's Pass-Waratah and l the Rangitata Island area. Cattle and Middle Valleys were bad on Monday, but they have cleared considerably. The Hanging Rock-Rapuwai road is in a bad state, and it may be some days before the mail car can get through. The top of Rangitira Valley and part of the Waitohi area are still causing trouble. Now that the snow is melting, several small creeks are rising, and further trouble can be anticipated.