PARCELS POST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 138, 8 December 1938, Page 11

PARCELS POST

TO PLACES OVERSEAS

INTERESTJMG JUBILEE

A jubilee occurs this month which in many countries, with an eye to increasing revenue, would have been celebrated with the issue of at least one special stamp. The jubilee is that of the inauguration, of an overseas parcels post between New Zealand and Great Britain. Prior to December, 1888, strange as it may seem to the present generation so used to manifold postal facilities for sending parcels to al] parts of the world, there was no overseas parcels post, and packages had to be carried toy steamers as cargo and to be paid lor at cargo rates. New .Zealand's overseas parcels post was inaugurated .about Christmas time in 1888, hence the jubilee of the event occurs' about now. No stamps, however, are being issued to celebrate the occasion, which is passing "unheralded and unsung," save for this brief mention. SPECIAL ACT PASSED. Before the welcome innovation of an 'overseas parcels post could be inaugurated, a special Act $f Parliament had to be passed to authorise it. The exchange of parcel mails between this country and overseas began under the authority of the Post Office (Foreign Parcels). Act, 1888, which gave the Postmaster-General power to enter into agreements with other postal authorities for the conveyance of foreign parcels under and subject to the terms ©f the Act. A number of regulations were made prescribing the rates of postage, the dimensions of parcels and the mode of packing, and .making provision for other miscellaneous matters.. Some of that legislation is in force today.

Before the Act troas actually passed, negotiations were put in train for an , early exchange of parcels, the desire1 being to afford residents of the United Kingdom the opportunity off orwarding parcels in time to reach the colony iby Christmas of 1888. The first parcel mail was dispatched fa?em <on November 16, 1888, and delivered m the colony on Uecemiber 30. "One thousand*parcels were received toy this mail," states the departmental report of 1889, apparently feeing content to deal in round figures. The report adds that this thousand parcels was ".a number far in excess of the most sanguine estimate. It had originally beeri determined that only .ojae paipel mail Iby £ach steamer .should be dispatched toy the London Post Office, but, as tine number of parcels was tfar larger than contemplated, it -wras decided that separate mails should ie made up for each of the foxir maio ioentr<es." .THEiFiaSTPISPATOH. ~ ■ The first parcel xoa33 from Hew Zealand for London left xni the s.s., Eimuiaka on December, 27, 1888. The rate of'postage was Is 6d for a parcel not exceeding ,21b and 9d for each additional pound or fraction up to a maximum of 111b. Within two -years the parcels post s,ystem was extended yia London to :maby other countries. Any doubts as to the value of this facility were soon dispelled fry the increasing volume of tQae traffic handled. In 1889, 2452 parcels were forwarded from New Zealand to Overseas countries, and 12,335 were received. In 1900, 10,916 paEoels were dispatched overseas, .and;34*2S6 were Received. Today the parcels post is i&ed for the importation -.of a large variety of goods, while .a 'system •oi insurance facilitates the safe itfraneport of able products. The overseas parcels post business has always shown a large; balance of imports swser exports, lastyear's dispatches .tofeCuarig 45,600, while the parcels reeeisred were 19^336.