THE MAILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12754, 25 September 1919, Page 6

THE MAILS.

EXIT MOTOR SERVICES. A SATISFACTORY EXPEDIENT. The motor services for the conveyance of mails, which have proved entirely satisfactory during the period of the railway restrictions, will be dispensed with on Monday next, when normal train services arc to be resumed. The contracts which tho Postal Department made with the Progress Ifcague and the Kuick Sales Company are to he cancelled, owing to their being no further need for the servicesThis new arrangement means that mails for the south will close at the Chief Post Office'at 11 a.m. instead of 7 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays as at present, and there is every likelihood of tho North Island mails catching the express every day. Tho ferry service from Wellington to Lyttelton has not shown any improvement of late. At one time the Maori arrived at Lyttelton usually about < a.m., but on frequent occasions recently she has not reached port until the afternoon, owing to bad coal and other stokehold troubles. At tho present time the Maori is being overhauled, and a considerable “ speeding up ” is expected when she again resumes running. The AVahine is due to leave England for New Zealand shortly, but it will be some time before this vessel will again take her place in tho ferry service. The Moeraki, which left Wellington at 1.15 p.m. yesterday, brought a small from the North Island, and it was delivered, in the city this morning. An endeavour is to bo made to make * arrangements for the unloading of English mails from overseas liners which arrive at Lvtteltoh- Tho mails on the Ayrshire., which arrived at Lyttelton on Saturday, were covered/with cargo and it was well into the afternoon before they could be landed. It is proposed to ask th© shipping agents in England to see that the mails are placed in the most accessible position in the ship, so that they can bo landed immediately th© vessel berths.