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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 61, 12 March 1878, Page 2

To THE EpiTOK OF THE 'EVENING MAIL.' Sir —Allow me space in your correspondents' column to draw the attention of the inhabitants of Wakefield and the surrounding districts to the following facts, which, I think, have only to be ventilated to be rectified. Richmond has a stationary station master, who also fulfils the offices of Postmaster and electrician. There is very little goods traffic by rail to that station. Wakefield has nearly or quite as much goods traffic as the Eoxhill station, but has only a travelling station-master. It is a great inconvenience to the sawyers and firewood men, and to the inhabitants generally, that they cannot see the station-master except at certain times in the day, which of course often causes much loss of time. Another nuisance to the inhabitants is that the nearest telograph office has been placed at Foxhill, one and a half miles beyond the railway terminus; consequently, if you want to send a telegram and are too late for the post you must either trudge up to Foxhili and back, eight miles, or hang about until the 1-45 p.m. train comes down, and then ask the guard or station master to oblige you by leaving it at Richmond. In passing, allow me to say they are both very obliging iv any matter of this kind. I wish the inhabitants of Wakefield and the surrounding districts to notice that at Richmond you can go to the railway station at any time in office hours to register a letter, receive a registered letter, get stamps to post a letter, send a telegram, or receive one, or see the station-master if you have any business to transact with him. At Wakefield if you want to do any of these things you must be at the station before eight a.m., if you want stamps at the Post Office you must get them before nine a.m., or wait until three p.m.; if you expect to get a letter you must be there before nine a.m. or wait until three p.m., if you have to register a letter you must be there before nine a.m. or wait until three p.m., if j^u have to receive a registered letter you must be there before nine a.m. or wait until after three p.m., if you want to register the birth of a child you must not show your nose before three pm., because if you are not on very friendly terms with the registrar you may get it snubbed off; if you want to get married by the registrar you must wait until after three p.m. The people from Motueka Vallej' and the Tadmor complpin very much of the iuconvenience of not having the registrars office open at reasonable hours, as in the short days they cannot do their business with the registrar and get back on the same day, thereby causing a loss of time and expense. I would suggest that as Foxhill has a station master and partner with very little to do, the station master should be the travelling master the partner deputy station master, and by consolidating the offices of stationmaster, electrician, postmaster, and registrar of the district we could have a telegraph office at Wakefield, which, I feel sure, would do as much business as either Foxhill or Richmond. The duties of the postmaste: and registrar of the district would be done with less inconvenience to the public. It would be a boon to the inhabitants and a positive saving to the Government. I trust the M.P. for the district will take this matter in hand, otherwise I shall have to trouble you again, as we expect him to take some litAe interest in the affairs of the district. I am, &c, Pro Bono Poblico. Wakefield, March 11, IS7B.