The Globe. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1874.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 8, 9 June 1874, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, JUNE 9, 1874.

Among the public departments in Canterbury, there iB not one with which members of the general public are so constantly brought into contact as the Post Office. The management of this department being under the General Government, we should look to more efficiency among the subordinates than even in a correspondingly important provincial office. That, however, this ii not the case can hardly be denied even by the most determined opponent of provincialism. Let us state a case which came under our notice the other day, and for the accuracy of which we can vouch. A person in Timaru had occasion to send a cheque to a friend in town, and as the matter was important, he telegraphed to his friend on posting the letter containing it. The telegram was duly received, and the friend, who we will call A was consequently on the look for the communication and its enclosure. The delivery on the morning after the Timaru mail came in, however, brought no letter to his house, and he accordingly strolled down to the Post Office, and made enquiries, receiving for answer that there wa» nothing for him. Per-

plexed at the reply he thought his friend might have forgotten to post the note, and therefore telegraphed to Timaru, only to receive the same message as had been previously sent. G-etting nervous after the afternoon delivery, he again enquired at the Post Office, and received the morning's answer. He then hied him to the bank, and was informed that the cheque could only be stopped by the drawer, whereupon he had to go to the expense of another telegram to Timaru, stating the non-arrival of the letter, and requesting his friend to communicate in same way with the bank. The next day, of course, there was no mail from Timaru, but on the third morning he was surprised by the delivery of the missing packet, and more surprised to find on examination that it bore the Timaru post mark of the day on which he had received the first telegram. Where was this letter for the two days elapsing between the two mails ? If in the Timaru office, it had no right to bear the postmark it did ; and if in the Christehurch one, it ought, being legibly addressed, to have been delivered at A's house; and at least it should have been given up on his personal application. In this case, the delay in delivering an important letter entailed on those who were perfectly innocent of any breach of Post Office regulations, an expenditure of some 5 or 6 shillings in telegrams alone. Moreover, from all parts of the town complaints are constantly heard of the non-delivery of letters and papers, and we hope that those people who have suffered from the dilatoriness of the Post Office officials will take care to et their grievances be known. The accommodation too at the office is of a most limited character, and the building itself a disgrace to the city. There is only one window for the delivery of all ordinary communications, and those who cannot afford the luxury of a private box for their letters, have very often to kick their heels for an hour or more on the arrival of an English mail, in a wretched shed, for it can be dignified by no other term. Again, there ought to be a railing in front of the delivery window, so that all comers could take their place and file along in the order of their arrival. As at present it is often the case that women have to stand outside, the crush being too great for them to face. The window for the delivery of regisgistered letters, might surely be utilised on the arrival of a mail from England, and thus some relief given, but even then the accommodation is not sufficient for the requirements of the city. Another cause of complaint appeared in the correspondence in last Friday's " Press," in which the writer shows, that instead of the two different lines of mails from here to England being a convenience, they are on the contrary a hindrauce, to transmitting money by P. 0. order. We think we have said enough to prove that the department in question wants looking after, and that there is room for a very great deal of improvement in the management, more especially as regards the delivery of the English mails.