FROM SMALL THINGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 890, 9 August 1910, Page 6

FROM SMALL THINGS.

HOW THE POST OFFICE HAS GROWN. A STRIKING RETROSPECT. An interesting account of the development of Post Office affairs in Wellington from the day of small beginnings was given by Sir Jospph Ward, Postmastertteneral, in laying the foundation-stone of the new post office yesterday. Owing to the drizzling - rain in which his hearers had to stand, Sir Joseph was unable to go so fully into past Jiistory as he desired, but some facts which ho was uuablo to mention were given to the press afterwards for publication, and are here incorporated. . Sir Joseph Ward quoted tho description givon by Mr. Mantell, an early postmaster, of the Native building that did duty as a post office from 18-10 onwards:— "I found it 'absolutely necessary from the inclemency of the weather and the dilapidated state of the liouse to have u stovi-, tho loitoi, 'of which tho walls were composed, being in such a wretched slate that tho pigs and other , animals were in the practice of fiuiling an entrance there." In 1843 the post office at Wellington was at the corner of MiUgrave Street and Thorlidon Quay, a(id the rent paid in conjunction with the church and courthouse was £106 per annum, .£2O of which was charged against the post office. Froui there the office was moved to old Customhouse Quay, at Iho foot of Farish Street, and subsequently' to Willis Street. A Primitive Scheme. "Although in 1810 Post Offico affairs in Wellington had not attained much consequence, such arraugcmentsi as were necessary for the interchange of communication were carried out with surj.risinjr vigour. As early as May, 1840, the "New Zealand Gazette" advocated Ihu establishment of an overland ■ post routo between Welliniton and the Bay of Islands. The local arrangements would bo of [ peculiar interest to the residents of Wellington. "We understand," says ithe "New Zealand Gazette" nf July 11, 1840, "that a mail between Thorndon and this place (Britannia, now Potone) will be made up for : the first time' on Monday next, at 8 o'clock a.m., • and a return one from, this place to Thorndon at 1 o'clock p.m.. The rate to be charged is 2d. for letters and Id. for newspapers. Mr._ Patqn will have the superintendence of it at Thorndon, and Mr. Hunter at Britannia. Should the weather provo unfavourable for the boat, the mail will bo dispatched on foot." The same paper of August 1 said:—"The papers for our Thorndon subscribers were sent to the post office as usual, but, owing to the boisterous state of tho weather, no mail • was sent on Saturday." The papers were thus not delivered till the following Tuesday- • . ■ The time was not ripe for the establishment of tho long routo-to tho Bay of Islands; but in the matter of overland posts the settlers of Wellington ivero far in advance of their contemporaries in tho Bay of Islands-and Auckland. Au overland mail servico between Wellington and Wanganui, fortnightly in frequency, was established on September 20, 1841. Authority was obtained for the payment at the rate of £1 for each journey for tho bearers of this mail.. From August 5, 18-14, the overland mail service from Auckland to New Plymouth via Kawhia was continued to Wellington. The mail was dispatched from Auckland on the first and third Mondays of each month. Apparently the service did not last long, as the "New Zealand Spectator" ol October 11, IS4G, referred to it as having been discontinued for nearly two years. .The length of time occuniod in con'veying letters between Auckland and New Plymouth by foot post was a nightFirst Stamps Issued. August 17, 1853, the late Mr. John larrHoggard was appointed Postmaster at Wellington.' He appears to have been to some extent in a position of control over the offices at Lyttelton and Ota?o. Stamps were introduced in New Zealand in 1855. The suggestion- that only thrno. values of stamps, viz., Is., 2d., and Id., should be at first issued, was made by Mr: Howard. l In 18ot Mr. Petre was appointed as the first Postmaster-General. In ISSG tho Wellington Post Office < was destroyed in an extensivo fire, which almost crippled the settlement. A new building' was erected in 1862, which by 1875 had become so inadequate that,, when an English, mail arrived, the bulk of it had to be placed in the coal-shed and taken into the office piecemeal. When it rained members of the staff wore their overcoats to protect themselves. In 1878 a branch office was opened at the Mount Cook Barracks. In 1884 a new Main Post Office was completed, which was regarded as the finest public edifila in the colony. Three years later it was destroyed by fire, and the building which still, stands was opened, in ISS9. The clock and chiming bells were provided jointly by the City Council and Harbour Board, and the hour-bell (which weighs over 29cwt.), presented by' Mrs. Sarah A. Rhodes, in memory of her late husband, the Hon. W. B. Rhodes. Messrs. Littlejohn and Son, of Wellington, secured the contract for the clock and bells. The bells were cast at tho Lion Foundrv Wellington. Growth of Service. _' The first street pillar-boxes were erected in 1861. The money-order system was f established in New Zealand in 18G2, and the savings bank system in 1867. A telephone exchange was onened in Wellington in 1883, with 31 subscribers. The following figures show the progress that has been' made in post and tele-: graph business in Wellington, between' the. years 1899 and 1309. The figures lor 1909 aro given in parentheses:— Chief Post Office, Wellington.—Letters and postcards posted, 4,299,685 (14,086,912); other articles posted, 2,905,006 (7,524,G50) ; letters and postcards delivered, 4,172,051 (12,612,025); other, articles delivered, 1,8iC,975 (6,551,870) ; Postal revenue, .£42,468 (,£78,736).' ' ' ,' • Wellington District.—Letters and postcards posted; 7,008,196 (24,752,574; other articles posted, 4,412,629 (13,125,429); letters and postcards delivered, 7,283,419 (22,312,537); other articles delivered, 4,044,936 (11,549,484);. postal reveiiue, . ,£71,938 ... Chief Post Office, Wellington—Moneyorders issued, JE7O.-137 (.£149,958); moneyorders paid, .£139,877 (,£2!)7,8G3); savingsbank deposits, 4-17,391 (.£151,907); savingsbank withdrawals, .£494,529. (,£1,437,693). The following, figures give comparisons for tho years 1868, 1899, and 1909 respectively:— Wellington District (excluding Chief Post Office).-Money-orders issued (1868), ■£13,548; (1899), (1909), i 333,525; money-orders paid ''(ISGS), ,£7820; (1899). '£48,457; (1909), .£127,022; savings-bank deposits (18G8), £14,563; (1899), .£209,028 ; (909),' .£784,056; savings-bank- withdrawals (18G8), £9350; (1899),"' £137,078; (1909), JE4B2.IGS. Similar increases have taken ■ place in regard to telegraphic business.