NIGHT CLEARING OF MAILS

Southland Times, Issue 24228, 11 September 1940, Page 4

NIGHT CLEARING OF MAILS

Protest Rejected By Department

CITY COUNCIL URGES RECONSIDERATION

After receiving a letter from the Postmaster-General (the Hon. P. C. Webb) declining to restore the night clearance of suburban mail boxes, the Invercargill City Council last night decided to express its dissatisfaction with the position and to urge the department to call tenders ■ for the clearance of boxes by horse-driven vans or bicycles. The Minister’s letter was in reply to the protest made by the council at its previous meeting.

“The night clearance of posting boxes at Invercargill and other centres where such clearances were made was discontinued as part of an effort to effect a saving in man-power and to bring about economy in the consumption of petrol,” stated the Minister’s letter. “As you are aware, there is urgent need for the exercise of the strictest economy in the consumption of petrol, and the Government is taking positive steps in this direction with Government-owned vehicles by eliminating or reducing motor services wherever possible. The saving of petrol at the rate of 1500 gallons per annum that is being effected by the discontinuance of the clearance of posting boxes at Invercargill is no small contribution to the desired objective. “Correspondence posted at night is mainly of a domestic character, and after a careful consideration of all the circumstances, the conclusion was reached that the abolition of night clearances at Invercargill and the other cities concerned was justified in the present abnormal war conditions. I am keenly appreciative of the ready cooperation of the Invercargill City Council in allowing posting boxes to be placed on certain evening tramcars. This exceptional treatment has alleviated to some extent the position in your city, but to effect some further improvement my department is now prepared (with the consent of the City Council) to extend the arrangement to three trips instead of one from Mondays to Thursdays, inclusive. Passenger traffic would, no doubt, prevent additional trips being utilized 'on Friday evenings, while small postings would not warrant the inclusion of Saturday. lam afraid that there would be serious objections to a reversion to the night clearances of posting boxes by motor-vehicle, and, in the circumstances, it would be appreciated, if your council would agree to posting boxes being placed on evening tram-cars for the additional runs proposed.”

LITTLE REAL SAVING Disagreement that there would be any real saving of petrol was expressed by Cr A. W. Jones. Many citizens, he said, would use their cars to go to the Post Office to post letters. He did not see why the department should not call tenders for the collection of letters from the suburban boxes by horse-drawn vans or bicycles. He moved that the Postmaster-General be informed that the council was most dissatisfied and believing that there would be no saving of petrol, suggested that the department call tenders for the collection of mail. He said double postage rates were now being charged- and the people were entitled to a service. Citizens of Invercargill were at a great disadvantage and were entitled to more consideration. The department had shown no enterprise. There was a tendency for Government departments to get into a rut and new ideas were not welcomed. Probably the local chief postmaster was not allowed to have ideas. The department should not be allowed to interfere with the tramway service. The posting of letters on the trams was endangering the lives of citizens and children and was only a poor makeshift. The motion was supported by Cr R. T. Parsons, who urged that the council take a stand and insist on the resumption of the night clearing of mail boxes. It was a petty matter for the department to be economizing about, said Cr E. J. McLauchlan. A city of the size of Invercargill deserved more consideration.

Cr F. A. Webb suggested that the council should join with the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce and Southland Progress League in making a combined protest. The Postmaster-General’s letter had stated that there would be serious objections to a reversion to the night clearance, said Cr A. Scott. He disagreed with this statement and said there was a general demand for the service to be restored. The motion was carried.

The Trading Committee reported that the department had asked permission to place posting boxes on the tram-cars leaving the Post Office at 7.45 p.m. and additional boxes on cars leaving at 8 p.m., the boxes to be cleared on the return of the cars at 10 p.m. or 10.15 p.m. This service would be provided on four nights a week. The department was prepared to pay £2O a year for the service. The committee recommended that the chief ( postmaster be informed that if it was necessary for the Post Office authorities to abandon the previous system of clearing the street boxes at night, the council would be pleased to help in providing facilities for the people. The matter was left in the hands of the committee.