FIFTY YEARS AGO

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20692, 30 December 1938, Page 2

FIFTY YEARS AGO

parcel post service THE FIRST DESPATCHES It is just 50 years ago this Christmas since New Zealanders first enjoyed the delight of being able to receive a parcel through the post from the Homeland. Most people have on occasions witnessed bags of parcels, as pact of His Majesty's mail, being loaded abroad steamers for overseas destinations, but, probably few' have any idea how old is tiie Dominion’s overseas parcel-post system. A special Act of Parliament had to be passed to authorise this welcome postal innovation. The exchange of parcel mails between this country and overseas began under the authority of the Post Office (Foreign Parcels) Act, 1888, which gave the PostmasterGeneral power to enter into agreements with other postal authorities for the conveyance of foreign parcels under and subject to the terms of the Act. A number of regulations were made prescribing the rates of postage, the dimensions of parcels and the mode of packing, and making provision for other miscellaneous matters. Some of that legislation is in force to-day. Estimates Exceeded Before the Act was actually passed, negotiations were put in train for an I early exchange of parcels, the desire | being to afford residents of the United | Kingdom the opportunity of forwarding parcels in time to reach the Colony by Christmas of 1888. The first parcel mail was despatched from London on November 16, 1888, and delivered in the Colony on December 30. “One thousand parcels were received by this mail,” slates the departmental report, of 188'.), “a number far in excess of most sanguine estimate. It had originally been determined that only one parcel mail by each steamer should be despatched by the London Post Office, but as the number of parcels was far larger than contemplated, it was decided that, separate mails should be made up for each of the four main centres.” Increasing Volume of Traffic The first parcel mail from the Colony for London was despatched on December 27, 1888, the rate of postage being Is 6d for a parcel not exceeding 21b and 9d for each additional lb or fraction up to a maximum of 111 b. Within two years the parcel-post system was extended via London to many other countries. Any doubts as to the value of this facility were soon dispelled by the increasing volume of the traffic handled, in 1889, 2452 parcels were forwarded from New Zealand to overseas countries, and 13,335 were received. In 1900. 10.916 parcels were despatched overseas, and 34,236 were received. To-day the parcels post is used for the importation of a large variety of goods, while a system of insurance facilitates the safe transport of valuable products. The overseas parcels post business has always shown a large balance of imports over exports, ! last year's despatches totalling i5,6n0. while the parcels received were 197.-