RURAL MAIL SERVICES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14774, 13 October 1921, Page 2

RURAL MAIL SERVICES

THE NEW PROPOSALS. STATEMENT BY MINISTER. Further questions about rural mails were asked in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, by country members.

Air G. YV. Forbes (Hurunui) asked Hie Minister whether he was awa.-.v thai though he had stated there was no wish to increase the amount that bad to be paid by settlers for mail deliveries, circulars were being issued calling upon the back-block settlers lo pay £1 in some cases, and £2 per annum in others.

The Postmaster-General replied that it was true that in some cases the rural services at the moment, cost the settlor nothing, but in other cases there were settlers who were paying from £5 up to £lO for deliveries. The whole incidence of the cost was, therefore, unfair and unequal. The object in endeavouring to alter vhe system was to distribute the cost more, evenly, Crespcetivc of the location ~>t (he settler, lie was familiar with the argument of the farmers that the city people had two deliveries, and thai one of these might be cut out, bul lhc execution of that proposal would nol lead to much of a saving, as the cos!. of a double delivery in lhc oily was infinitesimal by'comparison with the amount of the revenue. He did n»i

know tint Lie would be justified ■" asking the people id the cClios to pay more towards the service in the country district. The Government realised the duty it owed to the baek-blocK settlers, continued the .Minister, but the amount of help it could give was governed by the relation of the revenue to the expenditure. The trouble with rural mail deliveries in olhor countries was that they had gel out of hand, and Lh-c present intent tf.i of tlio Government, was to lay down a. principle which would provide for system-

otic working. Under Hie new arrangement the cost of the service to the department would be a little less than at present. Probably the loss wotiKl be reduced to about one-half, or not quite one-half.

Original Ideas, crude tlioiiß-n tticy may have been, have frequently led on lo fortune. So that if your application to the matter of improvement in appliances, or processes of manufacture, lias (riven you an original Ulna, consult us about it. We ran safeguard your Interests, and secure fur yuu all patent rights. Henry Hughes, Ltd., Patent Attorneys, 157 Featherston Sireei, Wellington. 165