PARCEL POST EXTENDED.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 524, 7 December 1912, Page 3

PARCEL POST EXTENDED.

FRUIT AND PRODUCE. REDUCTION IN CHARGES. A number of interesting facta in compaction with the Post and -Telegraph Department were given iu a Lyttelton Times representative by the Hon. R. Helton Rhodes, PostmasterGeneral.' ' Dealing with the matter of parcel postage, Mr Rhodei said that it would: be difficult to say where the utilities of the parcel post would end were it not for the cost of carriage and the need of increasing the size of vehicles or multiplying their number. It was impossible to disregard the necessity of some proportion between cost and revenue. He hoped, however, that the reduction in rates which was to come into operation in January next, namely, threepence for the first pound and a penny halfpenny for each succeeding pound would give a marked impetus to the operations of the parcel post. Even under the present rates the number of parcels hand Ist! was increasing very rapidly, and there was little doubt that this reduction of 25 per cent, would create new classes of business. He had been paying considerable attention lately to the carriage of fruit through the post. In iha case of boxes of fruit it was proposed that the department should act aa intermediary only, the idea being that any person should ba able to go to a post office, fill in a card and pay the money for a box of fruit, the post office arranging all matters with the Railway Department and shipping companies, and for the delivery of the fruit on its arrival. Negotiations concerning a scheme like this appeared to be slow, as different companies and departments were not at all times prepared to fall in with the views of each other. Now, however, negotiations were proceeding more satisfactorily, and he , hoped it would be possible to definitely announce the details of the scheme before long. The cost offices wished as far aa possible to arrange that packages of fruit should not pass through the ordinary mails, as this would involve such special packing on the part of consignors as to .rerner the system too expensive. Pending the completion of the details of the main scheme it had been decided to anticipate the general reduction in the parcel post rates by allowing packages of small fruit, such as strawberries, to pass through the post at the new rate. These packages would have to go ia the ordinary mails, and would need to be specially packed. The Minister said that he was considering the advisability of inaugurating a general agricultural post by way of enabling the rural population to dispose of its produce the more easily but of this he was unable to speak mora definitely at present. He could only say that the matter would receive his serious consideration.