POST OFFICE GRADE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 3, 19 January 1937, Page 8

POST OFFICE GRADE

Hastings to Take Steps For Increase BETTER FACILITIES Steps are to be taken t>y the Hastings Chamber of Comerce to see whether the Hastings Post Office can be graded up to a chief post office, with a consequent improvement and increase in the facilities that can be offered. At last night' s meeting of the Chamber a motion was carried that Mr. E. I/. Cullen, M.P. for Hawke's Bay, be written to, asking him to get in touch with the Postmaster-General, the Hon. F. Jones," to see if it was not possible to have this change effected. In moving this resolution, the chair•man, Mr. H. W C. Baird, mentioned that a number of other towns of smaller size than Hastings and servmg less prosperous districts were of the higher grade. Mr. Baird said tliat he considered that Hastings should rank with other towns by liaving its post office raised to tjie higher grade. ' 'Portion of the district that is now fed by Napier could be adequately fed from Hastings}" said Mr. Baird. "1 refet more particularly to Twyford, Fernhill and Pakowhai. Hastings compares more than favourably with the post offices of towns of similar size in the business transacted. The business is very considerable. "It does not seem quite justice that Hastings should always he associated with the sister town of Napier. For example, in the Health Stamp Campaign the Hastings saies are credited to Napier as the chief office. We should receive adequat© publicity, even in the collection of any fund of that nature. I admit we receive that locally, but the Press throughout the Dominion does not show that Hastings is interested in the campaign, particularly when local organisations do so mucb work for these campaigns." The motion was seconded by Mr. Joseph Wilson, who said he agreed that it was time the Chamber made a move to have "Hastings made a chief post office- "There are a number of mails which have to go to Napier for places such as Haumoana, which are quite handy to Hastings," he reinarked. "Then there - is the Customs gspect. The goods come here, then they are sent to Napier, where we have to fix up, about them. If Hastings were a chief post office, then the Customs entries could be done here," .'Would it be possible to have Hastings as a chief post offioe?" asked Mr. G.J. Harvey. "On a population basis, yes," replied the chairman, "Hastings is bigger than Nelson or Blenheim, and they are chief post offices." "It would certairily be muchi more convenient if Hastings were a ehief post office," continued Mr. Harvey. "It's not quite tbe corrfect tbing that mails should have to over-lap. Tbe* motion was carried unanimously.