WESTPORT P.O.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1932, Page 5

WESTPORT P.O.

OPENED YESTERDAY BY MR H. E. HOLLAND, M.P. (By Telegraph—Per Press Association > WESTPORT, June 17. In the presence of a large assemblage of general public, including fWI/ Municipal Band and children iroiri : sciioo.s, Mr H. E. Hoi.aild, M.P., , Leader o;' tlie Opposition,' officially ' opened to-day, Westport’s new Post Office, a handsome structure, replacing the building that three years ago to-day, was destroyed by tlie earthquake. fii the course of an intellectual historical review of the Post and Telegraph activities, Mr Holland referred to Sir Joseph Ward as having been probably the greatest of all of our Postmasters-General, becoming Post-master-General in December of 1899, Sir Joseph had established p'enny postage for the Dominion by January 1901. He had then carried his scheme for universal penny postage to the Postal Union Congress at Rome, but without immediate success. ' Pdnny postage was abandoned here in the war years, but it Was re-established in 1923. It Wtts again abandoned recently, but that experiment had beell found to he a losing proposition, and a return had onto again been made to the penny postage. Speeches were also made by the Mavor (J, H, Harkness), Hon, W. H. Mclntyre, Mr J. Niven (County Chair, man), Mr J. H. Enright (Chairman of rim Roller Progress League) and D. B yan (C airman of tlie Westport Chamber of Commerce). Reference was made by the speakers to the regrettable inability of any Ministers of the Crown to attend.

Mr Holland was presented hv the contractor, Mr G. H. Bull, of Christchurch, with a beautiful inscribed key made of Buller gold, to. officially open the handsome and well-appointed building.

MINISTER’S STATEMENT.

REGARDING POSTAL CHARGES. CHRISTCHURCH, June 17. A reply to the statements being made that the increase to the twopenny postage was a mistake, was made by Hon. Mr Hamilton (Post-master-General), in his address at th official opening of the new 'High .Street Post Office to-day. The Minister sab the advance was made to increase the revenue, so as to compensate, in gome measure,, for the decreased return ivstoms and other sources. It did brihg in revenue, klid The Department iia.f bdiin able to pay over to the Consolidated Fund £§§4,ooo, BUch a method securing revenue, however, was nut one to bo pulsed, so tihe rate has been reduced to a penny egn’n. The reduction had not be-ea made as the ■ result of the pressure of pub'i: opinion, The Post Office had a monopoly, and it was not considered righi to use it to exert too much) pressure in increased charges. He appealed to the public not to press too hard f ■ the reduction of the telephone charges. If the reductions asked were made, it might not be possible to balance the budget. The Department would consider the question with care.