HASTINGS CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 79, 20 April 1937, Page 6

HASTINGS CUSTOMS CLEARANCE

Attendanee of Clerk at Port Office BUSINESSMEN'S MOVE Continued representations are to be made by the Hastings Chamber of Commerce for an improved rural mail service at Hastings-, and also in the matter of Custom clearance. In this Jatter regard it is proposed that a Customs c'erk be in attendanee at the Hastings Post Office two or three times a week, for about an hour or so on each occasion, for the purp ise of fccilitating the clearance of parr*.e'si and in this manuer do away with th ' charges Piade by ageuts. "It i-, true that we have got ageuts in Napier, but on top of the Cusboiu eharge we have to pay a fee to the ageut and this brings up *he cust oLito r bit," said Mr G. H. ilcach. Mr H. W. C. Baird (chairman): 3/or 4/-. Mr Boach: That is one ot the advantagies that Napier business people have over us in Hastings. He said that reeehtly he had experienced a nasty mix-up in parcels which resulted in a full week's delay. "Could we not endeavour to have a Customs clerk attend at Hastings" so that we could clear the parcels here," he said. • Mr Baird said that in addition .to the 6d. charged by the Post Oiffice, the charge tothe agent was anything fromi 2/3 to 2/6

Mr Jos. Wilson: It is not ,only the extra cost; it is the delay. Sometimes even packets by . air • mail are held up for as mu,ch,as. three days at this end. It is a fact . that ' mtist of us have agents at Napier; but we are forced into having to haye them.; Wre would not need to do that if we had a clerk here to clear our parcqls two :or . three times a week,.if only for an hour on each occasion. ' • . It was agreed to -make representations along these lines to the Controller of Customsl ' Begarding seeuring improved main delivery for the Twyford .and Pakowhai districts, it was still 'maintained despite a letter from the department :to the contrary, that there was a loss of time occasioned hy having the rural delivery controlled from Najpier instead of through the Hastings Post Office, and it was decided that a subeommittee continue to investigate the matter. A letter was received.in this regard from Mr B. A. Griffiths, expressing appreciation of the efforts of the Chamber to have an improved mail service, and he stated that there was • some confusion caused, .He was also of the opinion that by, having. the letters delivered from Jlastings, it would be possible Tio include in the delivieries the thickly populated area of Raupare and its surrounding district, This letter was referred to the subcommittee for inclusion with any representations .that . were .made. . .