OUR POSTAL SYSTEM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 8

OUR POSTAL SYSTEM.

REPORT BY.THE SECRETARY. NUMEROUS IMPROVEMENTS,■ HEGOM-' MENDED.- ■■ Tho results of investigations made by Mr. D. Eobertson, 1 Secretary .to the Post .and .Telegraph 'Department, during his roccnt visit to Europo and America are given in a report presented .to Parliament yesterday.' 1 ' ■: ' - According to Mr. llobcrtson, if the proposals recommended in his report are; carried out there should' bo an annual saving to the. Department of approximately ,£IO,OOO per .annum; Ho saw no reason': for recommending any alteration of the counter system now in vogue. Without hesitation ho would .recommond, that the back-stamping of all letters ccaso forthwith. . This , would, lie' estimated, result in a saving .of .£IOOO per annum. "With regard to the closing of mail-bags, ho had cbmo to tho conclusion. that the evil-smelling wax pot could bo dispensed with, and lead seal used by all Tho hew.- system , would ■ involve an initial, expenditure of ' but, there woiild afterwards bo a saving of per annum. The adoption of a reliable stamp-vending machine would .materially reduce the work of clerks; at the counter.. ;If the proprietors of 'tho Dickie machino wcro prepared to instal : a machmo within: a reasonable time, lie would recommend that that typo of machino'.bo:: adopted.' .. Parcels Post. In connection with "paroels post, there were So many checks and' records V bo 'made ' in New Zealand that the system had now become cumbrous in the extreme. Ho had come to the ■conclusion,that the German system could with advantage be adopted not ; only v in tho offico system, but :in ' regard to tho facilities to tho public in the .' direction .of carrying, parcels of considerable weight., -If the rates wero reduced on.parcels for ; delivery Vfithin five' or ten ■ miles. of. tho office of. postin" it would attract in the .case' of the large centres a class of business which at present was not handled. Under' the ,Gorman system t no record l of .parcels was kept in office .books, but every person presienting. a parcel presented iVith it a card bearing the names of the sender lind addressee. This card was numbered with the 1 same number' as the parcel,; and forwarded to the oSico of delivery, where it was ultimately, 'kept as a record. The-adoption of the card system and' the.', abolition of ; re(!eipts,' except where specially paid for, would result m a saving a year. ' He.*'did'not propose that any. officors should bo removed !from '.the parcels .post.branch,. as tho: very rapid increase, of' business now going on should enable the' present staff to be, absorbed within a short time. .- ■.

Halfpenny City Post. ■ Whilst the 'stage 'at which rural delivery had arrived in the United, States - was interesting, ho-was more or less - doubtful whether tho same effect could not'have beoii largely (attained by the establishment of post ;and: tele- ■ phone offices'at'short• distances.' apart, .as? had beon done in New Zealand, , with :the;.addition; of' boxes as used in /Canada.' Tho Canadian system of rural delivery .boxv was one which ho would rocommond for. adoption ih New Zealand.'" ■' Tho cost of clearing- the 'boxes might be fixed at' the' Vsame.:',-::rate:.;vas.: : in;. Canada, -viz.,'; J6200 *' for : eacli _:1000 ' boxes :'against which ./it was to bo anticipated that business woiild .'materially: increase. . ..The ques-tion-of'-adopting 'sd. city post was one that should; bß.considered; with: caution.,, Whilst he was inclined-to think .that: there' would, bo no. •ultimate, loss-'of 'revenue ;in,reducing the\city 'rate to Jd., hbvwould' cstimate.tho:.loss' of rev-, enuo. for a rea'sonable : increase ; in .the volume of -correspondence at -C-IOjOG'G for . tho 'firsts year, .'for" the second. year, ,-: -615,000-for.-; the: third year,- after Which -the revenue -would re-, cover..atself. : .';Pealing: with the collection- of letters; 1 from V posting-boxes, l , Mr:Jlob'ertson stilted that' the German pattern was simple, well adapted for ' its . purpose,! and: of good design. Tho tiso. of similar, boxes in Now Zealand would be a great "convenience to.: tlio"' public,! jnnd .would no jdoubt at, the : same,time .result in. .■increased;correspondence;.being - posted. .'There ,;wu3 no-' persoii-in-a.-populous -,city should : have to., walk moro than a few 'yards to -'findta-,receptacle, for. letters.-:* /There, England: an, 'arrangement;.;.under ! which'.for a,small aahual ! feoVa.ny< firm ".posting ;'a. reasonable number of letters .was provided, .with ' a ',letter-box, which , was cleared by the post.office at frequent .intervals. An-extension, of • ppstihg-boxes ■ in' that •#rection''.:ttjght'''.cpn-: 'vehiently: bev-ihadei in New .; Zealand, ' and:.'was recommended.'-'•; y i -\; i -7'*v.'! , <.* ?' ■'?' I .■ j j-pivisional. Postal Districts. ;. V : Mr;' Epbertson"went' on. 'to-.recommend : the. 'adoption of,tho.New..'York .svstem. with .regard ,to registered letters,' under ivliicU the receipt to. iho sender t bears a Serial .. number.'" 1 Its would' result in ii 'saving of staff,"'.which'ipefore long; might, he, estimated. at, =6400 _, .a year.: If dead' letter's...were,.not' enclosed; in "enyolo'pes iwhere:- (returnable,' -but; stamped, ,' : 'a savjng'.of 'i2OO/a : .year .would >,& jeffefited.'!'.' A- - trial .might-. with; advantage be r -.given':.iti ;the four prinoipal centres: as' laijas -inland' letters were s concerned' to a "system ; .under 'which 1 uri-i deliverable letters:were at,once _retnrried_.to -.the sender. 1 /.. :Beferring . to. organisation of, city-' ae- - liveries,/he/,declared, .that-:,any. excessive centralisation naturally -increased.; the/, time; .of post, ? and / thus restricted the business. done., The . principal' cities , should/be .divided - intopostal: divisions, and the public encouraged to. addreK their -letters-to such'.divisions. ;He .had come..to/tho'.conclrision 'that:,the time lhad ;'arrivedifor r an 'hourly/delivery'.of.;letters. in' the -..populous mparts of tho/fpur,«principal '_ centres: The: increased- frequency miglit- bo tried first in Wellington: and-,.Aucldand.,',',. '/,/'/; /.,-'

■ \Telegrams. Jlr.'Eobcrtson recommended 'the• uso :of'.,the German ■method : of: closing telegrams l without tlie iiso of cnvelopae. Under tne ; -new .system a saving of ; aborit" JC3500 a year would, he said," be effected.; -Office. copies .of -'telegrams could without ,*the slightest difficulty be done away with, V and the saving would ' bo; : JE3700;. per annum. ■, HeWould recommend, the payment of telegraph boys by results. • : .'--: v, :■;' ' ' Telephones, Etc. ■ . Vln : :conheotioh " with he: was : not satisfied that the : measured'.rate system , should baadopted in its : entirety,; but, il would bo weUVto.:. consider whether/; it - should . not'., be adopted for branch exchanges. 1 <',The ' present, flat i rate'shbuld- be -maintained 'for single connections,-' ' particularly Mrith.' private residences.' If -that- were :'dohe',.;and •a; reasoriablo 7 : canvass made, ho believed - tho connections would 1» increased by - f)0 per cent- While the installation of - pneumatic: tubos..- for: conveying; tele-: grams' and. express letters 1 to; and' from -sub-urban-offices 'could- conveniently ' stand over until the new. buildings at Auckland. and Wellington *.wbre" ; ready,-, it ; would" bo" well. to begin the preparation' of plans of the • routes /proposed.:." After, looking into:, the question* of the use. of" motor-cars' for,, clearing,.-letter-boxes in tho larger cities and suburbs, ho would recommend that there be . 'no'-farther experimenting at and -that . .the;; cars: now :in possession of.-;tha, Department be.disposed 1 of. -' In' calling..for -tenders for' the; city work at Auckland, Dunedin, and Christchurch alternative . tenders might be invited for tho uso of motor-cars. . - :-- ' : '