CHRISTMAS MAIL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26635, 4 December 1947, Page 6

CHRISTMAS MAIL

RECORD BUSINESS EXPECTED ARRANGEMENTS IN DUNEDIN It is expected that mail handled this Christmas by post offices throughout New Zealand will reach record proportions. Permanent, and additional staff thgt will be engaged, will cope With a rush of much more than 1,000,000 articles a day during the preChristmas weeks. The chief 'postmaster, Mr J. P. Hanratty, said yesterday that at offices in the Dunedin postal district, postmen and postwomen will be given assistance by officers from other sections of the departmental organisation not normally working with mails, such as messengers ana clerical officers. Schoolboys, too, as in past years, will be specially engaged to assist. It will be necessary to provide assistance for the staffs at telegraph offices, and, in addition to augmenting the operating staff, telegraph delivery branches will have the services of schoolboys to assist with deliveries.

Notwithstanding the' additional staff supplied, the bulk of the Christmas work will be carried by the permanent staffs of pdst offices, making necessary the working of long hours. “The overall staff shortage makes the handling of the Christmas business difficult,” the chief postmaster commented. “Christmas is always a busy time in the Post Office, but on this occasion, because of general staffing difficulties, increased work will be created for the permanent officers. Business has reached a greater level than ever before, but this increase will not be met by a proportionately larger staff.” The chief postmaster added that the public could do much to help the mailroom staff and postmen by posting Christmas packets, parcels, and cards early this month. » “Late postings must create congestion,” he said, “which may result in delays in delivery, with disappointment to all concerned where articles are not received at the time desired.”

A particularly busy period was experienced by the Chief Post Office during the whole of October when Christmas postings were made for overseas countries, mostly parcels to Britain, and although the postings at the moment are not comparable with those during the rush period, it is evident that the posting of food parcels fer Britain is now an established custom with members of the public and large numbers are still being handed over the counters.

The two heaviest shipments of mail for Britain were made on October 7 and 24. On the former date,. 1442 bags and 8250 parcels were despatched and, on October 24, the shipment consisted of 2088 bags and 12,236 parcels, representing postings from October 8 to October 24.

The mails are already showing signs of the increased business likely to be met from overseas during the Christmas period, and some large shipments of parcels have been received in Dunedin.