The Dead Letter Office

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 109, 1 February 1935, Page 13

The Dead Letter Office

Sir.—ln “The Dominion” recently there was an article on the activities of the Dead Letter Office in New Zealand. The writer bf the article made the amazingly incorrect statement that “in London if a letter is insufficiently or incorrectly addressed the postal authorities cast it aside—whereas in New Zealand . . .” This, of course, is quite untrue; every possible effort is first made to find the person for whom the letter was intended, oi; else tlie sender before it is destroyed; in fact, there have been instances quoted in the Press of letter writers rather foolishly putting the addresses in a form of code to see if the Dead Letter Office could solve the puzzle. In reading in the newspapers reports of speeches by public men and articles such as this, I often think what a smug country this is, as in the opinions of so many people you always do everything better than anyone else.—I am, etc., E. L. SUTRO

Poukawa. [The statement to which our correspondent takes exception was made in the first place by a responsible official of the New Zealand Dead Letter Office, who stands by it.]