NEW POST OFFICE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 41, 16 June 1947, Page 4

NEW POST OFFICE

MANY “URGENT” CASES WHAKATANE NOT ALONE Although Whakatane people have had an assurance from the Minister of Works that their proposed new post office will be “on the Estimates” it appears that much the same thing has been announced in other growing towns. When the Postmaster-General, Mr Hackett, visited Te Aroha, which is about the same size as Whakatane he did not please the borough council and chamber of commerce whose members had pleaded for a new post office. The “The Aroha News” gives ..this report:—

“The Postmaster-General recognised the urgency of Te Aroha’s position since he had, prior to meeting the deputation, inspected the Post Office and exchange, but because of the building difficulties being experienced today he .could not commit the Department to building a new Post Office in Te Aroha either this year or next. He explained that other centres were in a far worse position than Te Aroha, and with the shortage of building equipment and manpower he could not give his assurance that the new office would be built immediately.” In editorial comment} the newspaper (which apparently has never heard about Whakatane’s need f&r a new post office) says:—

“Mr Hackett says airily that there are many places in a worse position than Te Aroha; if that is so he should be prepared to back up his statement by specific instances.” After relating steps taken since 1941 to secure a new post office the paper concludes its editorial with the remark: “If Te Aroha is to have a new post office within the next 50 years it looks as though only a determined campaign will realise that objective.”