A RECORD MAIL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2895, 6 October 1916, Page 6

A RECORD MAIL

SOLDIERS' XMAS BOXES " NEVER WAS SUCH A MAIL" Nowhero at the present time is it more- apparent that Christmas is within hail than at the General Post Office. That is a truism in normal times, but in war time the fact is trebly accentuated. All hearts go out to the brave boys who are helping to hold Germany's hordes safe in Northern France. Wore there any doubt of tho loving regard in which our soldiers in the firing line are held, it would have" been dispelled by a visit to tho great cellar of the G.P.O. yesterday, where, amidst stacks of cases, baskets, and bags, and in apparent' chaos, a largo staff was employed in preparing the Christmas parcel post mail for shipment for London, "Come down below," said -the Chief Postmaster (Mr. Dryden), "and we'll see how they're getting on." So a small party circled round an iron spiral stairway, '" only wide enough to take ono man, and doscended below tho lovol of the street. "Those bags," he said, indicating a mountain of lumpy-looking canvas mail-bags, "aro all full of parcels—arriving from country stations all the time. They all have to be emptied out, and carefully repacked into cases. The parcels are not sent in bags —get too much knocked about! Here are tho cases of white pine 3ft). 6in. in length and about 18 inches in height and width—a handy 6ize to iiuiidle. These are made at our own workshops, but as we could not supply enough in time for tliis mail, we had to get somo packing cases from tho warehouses."'

And there thoy were—great cases twice the size of the neatly-built P.O. cases—a great stack of them rubbing .an acquaintance with the ceiliug. In this room a staff of men and boys were selecting parcels at random from a mound of them and packing them tightly in tho cases. What an- altogether novel sight they presented. About 90 per cent, of tho parcels- were securely sown up in whito calico, holland, canvas, or scrim, and the effect at a little distance was as if they were a mound of whito boulders. Here and thero tho shiny-surface-of an nnshrouded tin gleamed out of tho mass. Ono could not but remark on tho very neat, strong manner iii which the parcels had been, sewn, and how clearly every address was written, cither on tho calico wrapping, an attached tag, or on both. What a world of lovo was contained in that cellar yesterday afternoon I

"Big mail to-day?" the writer askod tho packer-in-cjiief. "Yes, very big I Never was such a mail in tho history of the Post Offico in New Zealand—it's broken all records."

"About how many cases will thero bo in all for to-morrow's mail?" "Somcwhoro "near that's without those for Egypt, where a lot of tho 'Mountcds' aro still employed. This is part of the Christmas mail for tho troops that will go direct to London." . "Only a part?" "Yes—wo sent 13,000 parcols forward the other day. There's nearer 20,000 in this lot."

"AH well wrappod seemingly?" "Yes, the public have followed tho Post OfGco instructions pretty well. Now and again there's one—look, here's one'. That string will go before the parcel leaves tho office." This was a tin wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. With • the jagging by, the corners of other cubical parcels tho string had becomo loose, and two strands had already given way. Tho-official stated that tho parcel .should never have been accepted as it was. Circular tins, about twelve inches in diameter and three or four inches in depth, appeared to be very, popular. Ono could,guess what thoy contained—Christmas cake I May thoy all bo oaten by those for whom they are intended. Tho Post Offico officials are an obliging lot. They do their best in tho limited timo at their disposal to make evory parcel seoure. They even go to the trouble of soldering up tins, when somo amateur work looks liko giving way, or is showing cracl;6. In this confusion of hampers and bags and mountains of white-clothed parcels, it soemed an impossible task to gather it all up into noat cases in under a week, hut tho mail goes to-day. and tho Chief Postmaster was smilingly confident thatthoy would be quite ready. "As soon as room becomes scarce," said Mr. Dryden, "wo send a lot down to the steamer if she is in, or stow them in the garago preparatory to shipping them. They soon pile up. Though tho parcel mail closed hero at noon, thoro will bo contributions from tho country, up till this evening." "That will mean working to-night?" "Oh, yes—thero will be a staff of between 35 and 40 men working right through tho night. Jt ought to bo all clear by tho morning. "This mail that you have seen is only the parcels," Mr. Dryden explained.' "There will be a very big newspaper mail as well."

All tho parcels referred to have been privately posted. Tho official Christmas parcels for soldiers from the Town Hall do not go forward by the present mail.