Our Supplement-

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 39, 23 December 1893, Page 13

Our Supplement-

THE POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICES. With this issue we give our readers a picture of the buildings devoted to the public service in Invercargill. It is reproduced from a photo taken by Mr D. * Ross, Taj street, whose point of view was the eastern side of Dee street in front of Mair and Shepherd’s establishment. The buildings form a handsome and massive pile, and occupy one of the best sites in town, commanding as they do, the Crescent, and Dee and Tay streets. Their situation could not be bettered as regards public convenience, the whole of the buildings being close to the railway station and readily accessible from our leading business thoroughfares. Time was when very small and humble offices did duty for postal and other purposes in Invercargill, but with the increase of population and of business the necessity for greater accomodation made itself felt. The erection some years ago of the southern wing of the present buildings gave a little relief, but it was not until the completion of the extensive additions undertaken last year that the local members of several of the most important branches of the public service could be said to he adequately housed. The space in front of the public entrance, facing Dee street, has lately been asphalted by the prison gang, and is now all that could be wished so far as appearances and the comfort of pedestrians are concerned. A wide stretch of clear ground has wisely been left along the whole frontage, the principal break in the view being that caused by the band rotanda. Tins very ornamental structure faces the main entrance, and was designed tree of cost to the committee of management by Messrs McKenzie and Gilbertson, architects. The contractors for its erection were the Colonial Hardware Company, and it was constructed under the supervision of Mr James Macalister. The sou thorn wing of the building was erected in 1876, the contractor being Mr John Ramsay. The postal and telegraph departments then tool;: possession of their new quarters, and were subsequently followed by the Customs, Land and Survey, Deeds,

and Stock Departments. Last year, owing to the inadequacy of the accommodation, particularly in the case of the postal and telegraph departments, it was decided to complete the original block, and the necessary plans were prepared by Mr. W. Sharp, C.E. The contract was let to Mr John Crowther, for £4OOO, and he completed it in a very satisfactory manner in August last. The building of the central tower fell to Mr G. Morrison, of Dunedin, the price being £6OO. The tower is to possess a clock and chimes, and these are to be supplied in March next by Messrs Littlejohn, of Wellington, at a cost of £685. It should be added that a number of alterations were carried out in the old section of the buildings, the contractor in this case being Mi’ J. Ashley. When the clock and bells are in position Invercargill will possess one of the finest public buildings in the colony, and one in which its citizens may justly take pride. The southern wing is now occupied by the Customs, Deeds, Stock, and Land and Survey Departments, under Messrs' J. Borrie, F. G. Morgan, H. T. Turner, and G-. W. Williams. The whole of the new poi-tiou is devoted to 1 he use of the postal and telegraph officials, and concerning the local branches of these important departments, of the Public Service we are in a position to give our readers some interesting particulars —particulars which bear striking testimony to the advance made of late years by the district of Southland and the town of Invercargill. In 1876, when Mr J. W. Wilkin (who is in charge of three departments —postal, telegraphic, and the registration of births, deaths, and marriages—with Mr Bush as assistant officer in charge, and Mr W. H. Price as chief clerk) was appointed to the charge of the Invercargill post office, then occupying part of the site of the Colonial Bank, the staff numbered six, and that of the telegraph office (of which Mr J. L. Bush was in charge) five. The staff to-day numbers 43 —the Chief Postmaster (Mr Wilkin), 28 clerks, operators, telephone attendants, and cadets, five letter carriers, and two postal and five telegraph messengers. In 1876 there were 38 offices in the district, of which six were money order offices. Now there are 128 offices, of which 53 are either telegraph or telephone offices, seven are telephone exchanges, 20 telephone bureaux, and 24 money order and savings bank offices. The following comparative returns speak for themselves as to the increase in business : Correspondence received and despatched in 1876: —-505,498 letters ; 3,505 registered letters ; 71,485 book packets ; and 430,027 papers. Correspondence received and despatched in 1892 : —2,775,246 letters ; 16,010 registered letters ; 165,919 post cards ; 709,653 books and circulars ; and 1,047,345 newspapers; Correspondence received and despatched during 1893:-—3,127,072 letters; 208,988 postcards; 804,817 book packets ; 1,271,179 papers ; or an increase over 1892 of 351,826 letters ; 43,069 post cards ; 95,164 books and circulars ; and 223*,834 papers. Money orders issued in 1876 were 2895, of the value of £11,483 3s; in 1892, 11,129, of the value of £36,911 4s. Paid in 1876, 1409, of the value of £5487 11s 4d; in 1892, 6809, of the value of £24,757 17s. Number of savings bank transactions in 1876, 1482 deposits; 365 new accounts , 1261 withdrawals ; and 397 accounts closed. Total amount deposited, £20,178 6s 6d ; and total withdrawn, £30,239 5s 3d. In 1892 the figures ‘ were : —7895 deposits ; 1335 new accounts , 3641 withdrawals ; 788 accounts closed. Total amount deposited, £65,913 9s Id; and total withdrawn, £62,080 11s. The total estimated revenue in 1876 was £4lll 2s, and expenditure £2275 15s 6d, while the estimated revenue for 189, was £17,673 13s lOd, and expondture £6151 8s Bd. Besides this income and land taxes are paid in through the post office departments

also fees for various other departments of government, showing a total of money transactions for 1892 of £157,883 18s Ifd.

There are a total of 240 connections to the telephone exchangee, and in addition to the business of the post and telegraph department proper, there is the registration of births, deaths, and marriages. The number of telegrams of all codes forwarded last year was 45,223 ; received last year, 56,994; transmitted, 41,546; or a total for the year of 143,763.

The foregoing- facts and figures will give some idea of the amount of work done by the local postal and. telegraph officials, and they may be supplemented by a glance at the conditions under which it is canned on. Passing tlmough the main entrance, the visitor finds himself in a spacious vestibule, part of the walls of which are occupied with notifications of various kinds interesting to the commercial and travelling public. Turning northwards, he enters the public office, measuring 40 ft. by 32 ft., with a private room at either side for the postmaster and the chief clerk respectively. The public room is provided with a circular counter, with divisions for the transaction of different kinds of business postal, telegraphic, and other, while desks separated by partitions, are ranged along the wall for the convenience of send.rs of telegrams, &c. Behind the public office is +he mail room, which occupies nearly the whole of the ground floor of the new wing, and measures 100 ft. bv 30 ft. Connected with it is a hall on the eastern front for the owners of private boxes. There are 176 in use at present, and accomodation can be found if necessary for 255. The internal arrangements of the mail room are admirable, and have evidently been planned with a view to the most rapid receipt and despatch of correspondence compatible with accuracy. Between tirepublic office and the mail room is a large strong room, built on the most approved principles, heaving 1 the mail room, the visitor ascends a spiral staircase and finds himself in the upper part of the northern wing. This is divided intothree sections—-first, on the Dee street side, a larg’e store room, next the telegraph operators’ room, which is fitted up with eight instruments. It is connected with the public officeby a vertical tube, along which telegrams received at the counter are sent, while those taken off for distribution are passed through an aperture in the wall into the despatch clerk and messengers’ room. The telegraph room also contains a telephonic receiving office for the receipt of messages intended to be telegraphed from Invercargill. The third or western division of the upperstorey is devoted to the telephone exchange. It is ten years since the system was introduced local]}-, and appreciation of its advantages is growing daily. This department is open night and day, and is worked by six attendants. Four of these are young ladies, two being on duty together, while the night work is undertaken by two male attendants. It may be added that a fifth young lady is engaged in the public office. Exit is made from the telegraph room into a wide lobby, on one side of which are found the quarters of the registrar of births, deaths and marriages. From this hall-way the visitor can either descend to the main entrance or, adopting “ Excelsior ” as bis motto, take the staircase that leads to the tower, from whence a fine view of the surrounding country can be obtained. The buildings were formally opened, a few months ago by the Hon. J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General, who took occasion to refer in highly complimentary terras to the manner in Avhich the staff performed their onerous and responsible duties. That the praise was well deserved the public at large will, we are sure, cheerfully admit, and in taking leave of this big hive and its busy workers, we wish one and all A Mkkrie Christmas.