Why Post Office Sometimes Opens Letters

Chronicle (Levin), 8 June 1949, Page 2

Why Post Office Sometimes Opens Letters

WELLINGTON, June 7. No censorship is operating in Britaiii or New Zealand but envelopes of mail being sent out of Critain may be opened to see wliether it contains cui'rency, tlie export of which. is prohibited. Explanations to this effect were given today in statements from the Chief Post Ofliee, Wellington, and British High Commissioner 's Ofiice, when a coruplaint by a correspondent to "Bominion ' ' about private letters being opened, was referred to them. The correspondent said he had noticed that one letter from a friend in Britain had been * 'opened and resealed with plaster. Ile received another letter on the envelope of which was marked ' ' Opened for Customs £xamination. ' ' The Post Ofiice statement said thai several similar cases investigated by the New Zealand Post Ofiice had shown that the letters had been. opened by British customs authorities. Letters so opened were usuaily sealed with a British Post Ofiice label showing a crown and" bearing the words " Ofiicially sealed in Post Ofiice. " The United Kingdom High Commissioner ;s Ofiice statement read: "Internai mail is not opened in the United Kingdom. Letters leaving the United Kingdom are not censored but the„ envelopes may be opened solcly to see i whether they contain currency, .the e-v port of which is forbidden under the .Exehange Control Act, 1947."