POSTAL HUMOURS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 5

POSTAL HUMOURS.

ir SUFFRAGISTS AND RABBITS. ; ;| / WHAT THE LAW ALLOWS. / ,'';'^/ : ':.,,•■■ ;j Wnen/the;'English I 'suffragists /hit. upon the <happy, plan, of; sending two of their/ members ".through. the.ipost'V'to.. the Prime house;' .as./recorded in/ our /cable..'.news yesterday, ;> they ;no ..doubt i succeeded, 'in drawing very ■ wide. attention. to their cause. The postal; service; has 'been used, for' some curious; purposes before to-day, but. seldom ■for so; humorous'/an object;as the disposition of./two 'clamorous '.ladies: at '.the door of a. gentleman/;in'no .wise/, anxious /-'to receive ;them. ; i. ; Mr; Aspith retorted.very,neatly by causi^the.{two-ladies to.. be roturned; ;by Bpecitl^lnessenger,' as "dead letters;" but it is'doubtful -if the reply /■'came '//as- - strictly. withinythe'regulations as /the; action of -the-. first senders.- A/dead 1 letter'is;one'of-which, the.' addressee /cannot: be. /found, /■; and;;'. the suffragists'/were /quite - correctly '//delivered. But thVlegality of .the ladies', expedient cannot, bo questioned. In' the regulations;,for. exceptional. express-; services published in the British- "Postal Guide,": there, is a provision, that "postmasters may-arrange for the con- . /duct'/of-a'person to a'/placo-' by /an express : messenger;''. /Apparently,. in the case. of thetwov/suffragists,; the:"postmaster /was'- quite willing.to;assist:tho;joke. .?.."...'•.',', ' -/;.-/' ; .^6ld-;Mah';-Serit/-By''POSt./V-:; '/'- : ' /'.ln-the large, centre's of the. Old'-Wbrld,'the regulatiori;''which, 1 made possible their adveri-. turehasits Beriouiuse, in.the provision which it; makes for .guiding strangers to 'an address. ;The.postal; messenger-acts 'the grateful part 'which .the/policeman-plays' in;smaller centres.' :Quite : ;recently,. was 'reported /of-an .old-man'/who■••!was"-factually 'sent; across; the : sea'.by/ post..'.; -'He/.was,'a of.the Islo' of,' Wightyyanxibus to visit;';a.certain 'place on.the.mainland.-'-Ashe'was'an old-man, his /friends'.feared^'that ■: he;might I .not: find/his ;;destjnati6ri''if. he'travelled on his: own; respond ;sibility,': so./theyC'seht- him, jiractically; as' a •parcel, l ; through/the/Postal Department; and messengbrtook '.charge-, of 'him/to .the. : address.;!;:;;/-,;//,/;//; yi//:/'/'; ;...■'.;'■ ;./-;.;/;;-;.•- ;"///.;ty\Some,;/interesting',Regulations y/y.;'/'/// '/./.Without-this /Bpeeial : : regulationJ! ! the Buffragists/; might } have'.-found-; it.: a very difficult, matter :to','make /use, : of .'-the post ;&' their-'dey sign .of//seeing the,-Prime\'.Minister!-. '. 'There are limits to-tne operations."of the/Post Office,, .evenin /Great;Britainy. L It is; provided,'for example,ythati"no:living creature'' shall :be. conveyed or delivered, /except with, the special permission, of ;the. Postmaster-General.. This; 'taw, was, apparently, over-ruled by 'the'special •messehger;. regulation. '/,"• 'It is,'. also: - provided /that,,".Th(3re Bhallnot; be; posted ,br.;conyeyed : 'or/: delivered:by; post any/ postal /packet con-: ;sistirig..of, r or cpntainihg,?'(a : )/'any;cx'plbsive' substance;: (b): /any'.-, dangerous : , substance.;', • : The Prime Minister.might/easily.have claimed; ,that './suffragists- should ..be ''.excluded'•:. under :these_ descriptions.'//.:..;■;; ,-.»';-, : ;.-;-:,./ ■;';-:" ,'"'/'; ; ; :; It. js/regrettable .'to' thinkVthat,: if / some' .member; ofi'/the./National Council of, -Women'; ■orAany/votheri/'association ~wish I ,tb'. startle, her sisters by.;omulu-/ tion: of 4he/;Eriglish/suffragists^,exploit, 'she. iwill be;, prevented.- from /'doing /so \ until' .the' present/regulations' are altered. •- There isa •.provisiqh'y^h^.the : v-'New'''''/Zealan'dv-;?-fPpstal ;; for r running;.an:;errahd,'/ordering' a'-cab;:/'de-'. hverihgra ■Tetter/ or- small "parcel - not' exceed-' jng;,three-pounds' ; in;;weight,-, orlariy,'',similar; but,it se/ems/'to/havo', been' jealously/ framed' tb; ; exclude; a :. woman sagitator,. from endeavoured to/.-evade: its/ridiculous ■ weight" limit:: might. .eventually;,-be:/'s6rry;;':for,,; it 'is: provided': ''Prohibited: ,a/rt'icles,': if ./tendered -for,' transmission, "will" be (refused;': or/if "detected'in' Wnsit;'dota,ihed,oThey^are.';'liable, -tc- be dealt//wrfc!r^;^cE'V/manner/'M ' masterimayidirect, ahd;,the;sehder/isin'such liable:-tp//prosecuti6n;V;; "LiVo'/bees;and harmless/entomblpgical/.'specimens'-'/ areVthe.' ■ largest s.bro/jithihe/; things/: of ■■<'., which.'' the -.New Zealand /.PpstaVj'Departm'ent undertakes the. . transport,' 'Theyjmay'jbe forwarded,at;sample post' any, ,place:'within New Zealand, : Australia, ,;and : ;,tne::UnitedV;Kingdpm';,■ "p'ro- / vided,they ; .aro; ; enclosed:',in..'covers.-so con-/ structed /.as,to;;avoid'/all,/danjger,, and -to .allow/ the_ cbntents: to/'bei'iiicertainedi / -Live beesi' similarly /'packed;; may'.also,-be sent, to-all' other places.'^,/:No'jnention.is mado.of.wasps.'", SRabults'Zand.ChlcUons^/y/"//'//•'■ '/

:;.:If someimembers-of-.the:, publio.i'bad: their way,'they \would, soon "extend the' 'functions, of the New/Zealand Postal-Department.".-'Just after;Christmas, : 'someon6', sent! a : livd",rabbit from- one town' to ; anothcr/r was niade. comfortable 'in:-'tt' small box, of; which 'the lid 'was per-' forafcd to give him'air.larid'.the, postal :offiV .oials.-let.-.tb'e'-bbx'pass.'i-qnite' ignorant of'its contents.;.':; Similar:.:boxes . are.'often: used 'to ' f< > rw : ?™-flowers:V- 7?onny" ; arriyed-quito safe : at his destination,;Bnt;it is.feared that' two' /live chickens,' recently .addresse'd- by' a ■ small' toy:.up ;the Main l-Trunk',lino to "'a. friend 'in ■Chnstchurch,:.were'':"'lessV-fortuifato.'" '.When ;the; chickens arrived at'the- Wellington office ■«iey,\Tvere;; very ; sick 1 , and ; the ; Department decided; that it. would not.be. welUto subject .them to 'further vicissitudes'.of. travel.: 'Their :p'reciso.:fato. has.'not yet: been' divulged, but" it.is':feared.that'-the,iworst:powers of a' post.master.;: in;:such' cases : were-.visited'on'their innocent: heads: l .,;;;..;■',:*:> ;,•■:': v.-';.'V' : .v'\-'.- ■;■.•■' ' fine: tribute/'was piidto; the'safety of the modern ipostal service as '-'-a means "of tfansport.Men,the great Cullinah'diamond, valued.-at.'.several .'million/pounds,> was sent ;by,, i registeTed:post.;to : London from. South :Atnoai .without : any; further, precautions. ■■