THE POSTAL SERVICE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 135, 8 May 1940, Page 5

THE POSTAL SERVICE

WIDESPREAD RAMIFICATIONS. At the conclusion of the routine business at the Fcilding Chamber of Commerce, on Monday, Mr A. Orr, postmaster, gave a talk on post office business and facilities provided since the opening of the first office at Kororareka a century ago. Mr Orr proceeded to trace the history and expansion of the Post and Telegraph Department on similar lines to an address given -by him on the subject at a Civic Club luncheon a few months ago.’ Mr Orr pointed out that the department now operated approximately 1700 mail services of various kinds by rail, road, river, lake, harbour and air. Approximately half of this number were contract services, let for periods of three years. The railways were the largest mail contractors in New Zealand. Regarding the mail facilities in isolated localities, Mr Orr said these districts required special attention and it was the policy of the department to extend the postal facilities to rural districts when this could be arranged at a reasonable cost. In such cases the general practice of despatching the mails by the vehicle which carried goods, newspapers and passengers was followed. As an indication of the popularity of the rural mail delivery system, the speaker stated that there were now approximately 31,000 rural box-holders in New Zealand.

Referring to the postal facilities in the Feilding district, Mr Orr said Fcilding was fortunate in that little delay was experienced as far as rail services were concerned, either in the receipt or despatch of mails. He stated that letters posted in Invercargill up to approximately 6 o’clock in the morning would arrive and be delivered in Fcilding the next afternoon. Similarly, letters posted in North Auckland in the morning addressed to Feilding would bo delivered next morning. A vote of thanks was accorded the speaker. .!