THE CHRISTMAS MAIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1626, 18 December 1912, Page 6

THE CHRISTMAS MAIL.

__ eMAKUKA'S HEAVY LOAD. (By Telegraph.—Press Association;) Auckland, December 17. of Christmas- greetings to people of Not Zealand'from relatives and friends overseas swelled the mail brought by the Makura to-day, to huge proportions. It comprised the largest quantity of mail matter ever landed at Auckland. Collected from every part of the United Kingdom, from Europe, the United States, and Canada, the big mail amounted to 973 bags, of which tho letter portion was roughly double tho usual quantity brought by the Vancouver steamer. It easily eclipssd the previous record Home mail received in Auckland, via the Suez route last Christmas, which amounted to 862 bags. More than half the postal matter in tho mail was addressed to Auckland, the actual quantity being 516 bags. When the postal officials went aboard the Makura they found their labours greatly lightened by the manner in which tho officers of the steamer had anticipated their difficulty. As the vessel was approaching port a start was made with the work of collecting the mails from the many parts of the ship in which they had been stored in readiness for landing. By tho time tho harbour was reached the wholo shipment was stacked on deck, and tho shoro staff wero able to convey it to the sorting rooms with a minimum expenditure of labour and time. There was no difficulty in getting the southern portion away at mid-day without delnyins; the express this morning..

The Malwa will bring 115 bags of Australian mails and another large English and Australian mail will arrive by the Maraina on Friday.

The mails going outwards from Auckland are much heavier than in any previous Christmas period and are fully double the size of tho usual mails.