The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 37, 24 February 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1877.

A vert respectable resident of Feilding writes us to the effect that a great deal of dissatisfaction is being manifested m that township on account of the way the Post Office business is being carried on there. It appears that the gentleman who acts as postmaster is stationmaster as well, and the combination of these two offices m one individual, however assiduous and obliging, is not desirable, as the duties of each office though perhaps m themselves not arduous, require the whole attention and care of the person discharging them. The stationmaster's duties must be attended to, and whilst these are being performed we presume those of the postmaster have to remain m abeyance. However satisfactory to the Government on the score of economy, and however efficient the officer holding the double post, it is certain the public of Peilding are far from satisfied with the existing arrangement. They fail to discover the right of the authorities to curtail the hours of postal delivery to so considerable an extent as is the case at present. Whilst m small villages and m sparsely populated districts it m not to be expected that the Go-

vernment will pay an official to devote his whole time to the duties of postmaster, m a large township such as Feilding the ease is very different, for not only does Feilding m itself possess a considerable population, but there are numerous country settlers adjacent, who when they visit the township naturally expect to have every reasonable convenience afforded them ; and we would urge that it is a manifest injustice to the public of Feildiug, and particularly to her business men to be deprived of any advantage m the matter of postal delivery which is accorded to places of equal and even less importance. We do not, however, make these remarks from any faultfinding spirit, for we opine there is every reason to anticipate a better state of things as soon as the new post and telegraph office at Feilding is finished. We simply make the matter public to show that the want exists ; and as the Government are now pushing on the work of telegraph extension to Feilding, and are causing the building of an' office to be rapidly proceeded with, we feel confident that they will without unnecessary delay supply all that is requisite to make these two branches of the public service — postal and telegraphic — afford every reasonable convenience to the inhabitants of Feilding and surrounding district.