Mail Services

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30469, 17 June 1964, Page 16

Mail Services

Sir, —Would Mr Simpson also investigate the sorting of overseas air-mails? A year ago mail posted in Sydney, for a plane arriving about 6 p.m. in Christchurch, was delivered next day. For a long time now mail has not been delivered till the secqnd day. As’an example, an intending passenger last November 27 had posted news of her journey on Monday, November 25, in time for Tuesday's plane. She arrived, unmet, on Wednesday; her letter arrived on Thursday afternoon. This has remained the standard of delivery since. Worse, mail is seldom delivered till afternoon, between one and four, depending on the number of circulars distributed. So a reply cannot catch the 1 p.m. mail-box clearance, and a special trip to the C.P.O. is often necessary. Living on the hill should not necessitate such penalties; some New Zealand cities are all hills. This is. not to disparage our competent, genial postman.— Yours, etc.,

B.K.R. June 12, 1964.

[The Chief Postmaster (Mr C. J. C. Simpson) replies: “Overseas letter-mails, even those arriving at Christchurch in the late evening, are sorted that night and delivered on the next postmen’s delivery. Every endeavour is made to have postmen complete deliveries by 1.30 p.m daily, but this depends upon the quantity and time mails which are transported overnight are received at this office. I would be pleased to investigate any specific complaint if the correspondent would care to bring in the envelope of any letter considered to be delayed in delivery.”]

Sir, —After my letter about mails, I am happy to report that a letter postmarked 12.15 a.m. June 11, reached me on the afternoon of June 12, a great improvement on the airmail letter from the

same source, posted the previous Thursday, which did not arrive till late Tuesday. —Yours, etc., B.K.R. June 14, 1964.