POSTAL MATTERS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16433, 29 January 1919, Page 7

POSTAL MATTERS.

RESTORING SERVICE

POSTAGE AND TELEGRAPHIC

RATES.

The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Acting-Postmaster-Goneral, was asked yesterday by a reporter if anything definite had been done regarding the application by the Canterbury Chamber of Commereo for the removal of, tho restriction in respect of inland telegrams in code, whereuuder an interpretation of the message was to be provided to tho postal authorities. Mr Mac Donald said that he "was dealing with the matter at present, but nothing definite had been settled. "Wo hope," the Ministor continued, "very shortly to havo all restrictions removed, and we hope also to re-estab-lish all our services. Wfe had 200 men released from camp, and once Ave get 400 or SCO expert officers back into tne Postal Department, we hope to reinstate many of the services that have boon curtailed. In such a department as the Post and Telegraph Department without a trained _ staff it is a difficult matter to maintain efficiency; yet all tho women who have come into the Department have dono really good work."

liegarding subsidies on mail contracts, tho Minister said that the Department had come in for some amount of severe criticism; in some cases double tho amount was being paid for carrying mails. In some instances such increases were justifiable, owing to the liigh cost of fodder for horses; oven where motor vehiclos are run the cost had considerably increased. His object was to adjust matters on a fair basis. In some cases the Department had offered increases of 50 to 75 per cent., but in many instances they had asked for the renewal of the contract for ono year, because it was hoped that, with tho return of the Dominion's soldiers, and with industries in full swing again, the price for liorse fodder and the general equipment of mail contractors would come down, or, at least, that there would bo considerable reduction. He did not think that there were at present many contracts in dispute. "When are we to have universal ponny postage, and sixpenny telegrams restored?" asked the reporter.

"That is for the Minister of Financo to say," replied Mr Mac Donald. "when tho readjustment of taxation is being made. The postage and teleeranh rates were not increased to benefit tho Post and Tolegraph Department, but to increase the revenue of the Dominion — the Post and Telecraph Department being ono of the State's revenue-earning departments. Pre-war rates would bo restored if the Minister of Financo could obtain from some other source a sum cfinal to the rovenue that the additional postal and telegraph rates at present brought in."