UNWARRANTABLE NEGLECT.

Waikato Argus, Volume II, Issue 111, 25 March 1897, Page 3

UNWARRANTABLE NEGLECT.

TO THE EDirOK, Sir, —I wish to call your attention to the unsatisfactory manner in which the mail contract between the Te Aroha railway station and the post-office is being carried out. On Monday hist through the gross neglect of the contract, or the mails which ought to have left Te Aroha by the Waikato-Auekland train at 11.5 a.m., were left on the station platform instead, thus entailing inconvenience and considerable Joss to many who had important correspondence in the neglected mail bags. Mr Clough, our respected postmaster, did his utmost to lessen the mischief done, by forwarding the Auckland mails by train and boat on Monday night, but as far as the Upper and Lower Waikato mails wore concerned, they had to wait until Tuesday morning's train. Is there no remedy I would ask for such unwarrantable neglect. It is part of the mail contract that the mail bags shull be conveyed to the guard's van and given into that official's cu-tody, that is, delivering them at the destination. The railway station platform is not their destination, and the contractor ought to know that by this time. Another matter concerning the mails carried from the train to the Post-office I would draw your attention to. The mails are supposed to he taken on to their destination (the Post-office in this case) immediately on thtir arrival by train, but I have frequently seen them lying on the contractor's coach for ten miuutes and more, or while the said coach was being loaded with passengers and their luggage. This unnecessary delay has more than once caused the Waiorongomai mail to be delivered late. Now I hold Sir that if a mail contractor is not prepared to faithfully carry out his contract he ought not to undertake it at all, but allow someone else to take it up who would attend to it properly.—-I am, etc., Sri'FEBER, Te Aroha, March 23rd, ISO -