GREETINGS BY WIRE

Evening Star, Issue 20058, 26 December 1928, Page 6

GREETINGS BY WIRE

BUSY TIME AT TELEGRAPH OFFICE LARGE INCREASE IN MESSAGES HANDLED The members of the local Telegraph Department staff did their full share in making Christmas a happy_ one for many people, ter fca handling of the many thousands of telegrams conveying seasonable greetings meant a strenuous time for operators despatch clerks, messenger boys, and every member of the stafls. Though the busy' period commenced several days before Christmas Eve, the most strenuous day was Monday", when the whole staff was kept going for hours with • but brief intervals for rest. The work was carried through, however, without confusion. The staff was augmented, and all the spar© operators were called upon to undertake their telegraph duties. All the lines being in order, the operators were able to put through 100 per cent, work. Over the four-day period ended on Christmas Eve there was a substantial increase in business as compared with last year. Some idea of the strenuous nature of the work may be gauged from the fact that over 7,000 messages were handled by the delivery branch on Christmas Eve. The number of tele* grains received on Monday was 4,976, an increase of 2,063 over the corresponding day of last year. The number of messages forwarded was 3,291 an increase of 970, while the mi in her of messages transmitted to sub-officcs was, 2,280. It was not till 11 p.m. on Monday that the messenger boys ceased their tramps, and the operators continued to tap their keys till the early hours of yesterday morning. The despatch room staff took up its work again on Christinas morning, and the boys were soon being sent over a wide area delivering telegrams that had come during the night. The following fable shows the mini* her of messages forwarded, received, and transmitted during the four days periods, together with the totals for the same period last year:—

Over fifty messengers, -including about twelve auxiliaries, were employed during tin? Christmas period. In the successful issue of the work of the department these lads play no small part, ud their services are recognised in more ways than one. For instance, they arc not forgotten by the business community and many citizens at Christmas time, gifts of various kinds;, including sums of money, being forwarded to the Telegraph Office. During a bill in the busy period on Christmas Eve an official distributed the gifts, each hoy receiving a sum on the basis of bis length of service. Yesterday every meber of the staff on doty was allowed an hour off to join the family at the Christmas dinner.

—1928. — Telegrams. Re1 runs■warded. ceived. mils. Dee. 20 . .. 1,400 1.691 2.410 Dec, 21 . .. 1.862 2.064 2.959 Dee. 22 . ,. 1,776 .. 1,767 4,580 Toll. Trans■warded. ceivcd. nils. Dee. 20 , 871. 1.7w0 244 Dee. 21 . .. 1,086 1,827 280 Dec. 22 , 760 1.096 277 Dee. 24 . .. 0,291 4,976 — —1027 Telegrams. Trans■warded. ceived. mils. Dee. 2T . ,.. 1,010 1,716 2,428 Dee. 22 . ... 1.602 2,018 0,075 Dee. 20 . 2.600 0,149 6,010 Doe. 24 . .. 2,021 2,910 10,750 Totals . .. 7,910 9,796 22,569 Toll. For1! Transwarded. eeived. mils. Dee. 21 . .. 784 1.427) 220 Dee. 22 , 800 1,490 2^ Dee. 20 . 968 ].6o2 216 Dee. 24 . 699 1,021 271 Totals . .. 0,284 5,888 ■ 908