MAIL SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 241, 5 July 1919, Page 6

MAIL SERVICES

AND THE SLOW TRAINS USE OF MOTORS The reduction ui train services is goitli? to make a great' difference in 'lie lima of transit of mails over long distances. This was realised by the Government from the beginning, but the first decision was thai no steps should he taken to expedite the carriage of mails. Yesterday, however, Cabinet, decided to gms ihe Post Office authority to make such arrangement as might, be possible jo hasten the carriage of mails. Some expenditure will be necessary, but it doed not appear that if is the present intention of tbe Department to spend a. great deal of money for this purpose. Special services of motor vehicles will rrobubly not be provided by (he Department, at •iiiy place, but an effort will be made io make use of special services being rim for other purposes by oilier persons. In no case will the arrangement cover more than first-class mail matter, i.e., letters and postcards. Newspapers and parcels' will have to take their chances by the trains or steamers. The worst 'problems are in the North Island. There is no road communication between Wellington and .Auckland by any route in the winter, ami motor services to fill ji, n lO HIIV)S j n d le KJiwny service are not. possible. The best proposition seems to be to make use of tho old New Plymouth to Auckland servico by sea. The trains will take two duvs to reach New Plymouth from Wellington by .tram, and vice versa, but the proposal is to connect with the train at Palmerston and to run a motor twice through to New Plymouth, in the stnio day, connecting with the steamer at night. At present there is a steamer on the run only two days a week, but if this service can be increased to Ihrea trips a week there will be a inn.il to Auckland gelling throtisrh in one dnv of Iwenty-four hours or thereabouts thrco limes a week, and a return mail coining back in the same time on the other three days. It will be quite impossible Io carry any but first-class mail matter on these express services. The whole mails for Auckland and towns along the rout? nmounHo tons daily, and (hey could not be carried as extra freight on any kind of motor vehicle that would make good time on the roads. New Zealand has always been exceptionally well treated in the carriage of second and third-class mail matter. Tt is true that mail matter is classified in'this country, but the custom is t,o carry all classes on express trains. The only preference is in the sorting and delivery of the matter. In other countries, America, for instance, this is not done. -Mail matter is classified, and (he firstt-class matter goes by the fast trains, while the other classes have Io wait their turns to go by slower carriage. in the South Island the delays are ;.lmosf as bad, but the rui'.ds are belter. Similar arrangementswili he made there if they can be made.