CHRISTMAS MAIL

Hokitika Guardian, 22 November 1929, Page 2

CHRISTMAS MAIL

BUSY , DAY AT THE POST

OFFICE.

SEVEN HUNDRED BAGS FOR THE AO RAN til.

WELLINGTON, Nov. 19

Probably the busiest people in Wellington yesterday were the men employed in the overseas branch of the post office mailroom, for yesterday was the closing day for the last dispatch ,of mails" that will reach England or America before Christmas. Just how many people write Home each mail would, probably surprise the average New Zealander, and for the Christmas mail these figures are enormously increased.

All yesterday • morning the post office was thronged with a swiftlymoving, ever-changing . crowd with letters, parcels and. “annuals” whose destinations were- somewhere in the Old Country, and by mid-day the arms of the two clerks who sell stamps must have been very, very weary. After mid-day the crowds thinned somewhat, but there were more than a few who were forced to pay late fee through putting off their writing and packing until the last minute. LARGE FIGURES.

In all about 700 bags of letters end papers left the post office yesterday bound for the ample holds of the Aorangi, en route for Home. Last Christmas about 675 bags formed the Wellington portion of the Christmas mail, and this year they have been slightly increased, to exactly what extent the harassed officials did not know last night. About 670 bags were filled by the ordinary mail and it was anticipated that the late fee postings would bring the total up to approximately 700 bags.

This was not by any means the total amount of mail handled by tlie overseas mail-room, for the Makura, which arrived yesterday morning from San Francisco, brought some 2000 bags of mail, both English and American, about 700 bags of which wore for Wellington, and the Hauraki, which arrived at Auckland last week from Los Angeles, brought a large newspaper mail, most of the Wellington portion of which was also handled yesterday. Christmas comes but once a year—for which no doubt many employees of the post office are truly thankful.