NOT TO BE MOVED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32414, 31 March 1944, Page 6

NOT TO BE MOVED

CHIEF POST OFFICE WILL REMAIN IN THAMES POSTMASTER’S EXPLANATION A letter from Mr J. Thorn, M.P., drawing attention to an atricle which recently appeared in an Auckland newspaper about a request for the provision of a chief post office at Tauranga, with a cutting of the article, was read at a meeting of the Thames Chamber of Commerce. Mr W. A. Sawyer, chief postmaster for the Thames district, who was present, said he was glad the matter had been brought up, as it afforded him an opportunity of stating the correct position. A number of local people appeared to be under the impression that there was a possibility of the chief post office being transferred from Thames to Tauranga, and that he had concurred in the proposal during the function given in his honour at Tauranga in view of his retirement. • Mr Sawyer’s reply at the function in answer to previous speakers was that all he could say at present was that the whole question of postal districts was under consideration, and that a committe was being set up in Wellington with a view to reducing the size of several of the larger postal districts by creating an. additional three or four new districts, and that it was likely that a new district embracing the Bay of Plenty and that part of the lower Waikato from in and around Rotorua would be created. To compensate the Thames district it was likely that the boundary of the Hamilton and Thames districts would be altered so that Thames would include part of the lower Waikato area. Remaining in Thames Mr Sawyer informed the meeting that there was not the slightest possibility of the new chief post office being removed from Thames, and that the. claims of both Tauranga and Rotorua would no doubt receive consideration when the new district was created. He also said the position was fully realised by speakers at his sendoff, who had now dropped the idea of endeavouring to take the chief post office from Thames. At the meeting of the chamber, Mr •Sawyer stated humourously that Tauranga had not received any more consideration than any other part of New Zealand. Nothing had been sold to Tauranga to the detriment of Thames an opinion which seemed to be held in several parts of the town after the Auckland report had been read.