THE MAIL SERVICES

Southland Times, Issue 24243, 28 September 1940, Page 7

THE MAIL SERVICES

To The Editor

Sir,— Although I am well aware that our rights and opinions are given no consideration whatever, I agree with every word of the remarks of Mr W. J. A. McGregor on socialism in New Zealand. However, it is a long road which has no turning and the day will come when oppression will be banished and the numerous rights which have been wrenched from us will be restored. 1 know of no place outside Germany where restrictions and Gestapo methods such as we have to endure have been enforced, while the propaganda to “justify” such actions also bears a striking resemblance to Nazism.

Take the postal service as one of many examples. Everyone knows that although the charges have been doubled the service has fallen away badly, but how many realize the extent to which the wool is being pulled over their eyes’ After the injustice of the restrictions was pointed out the authorities announced that the postmen would clear the boxes while on their morning rounds in order to connect with the afternoon mail train. How many people realize that the postmen merely clear the boxes and deposit the mail at the nearest suburban post office where it stays till 4.30 p.m. before being despatched by tram to the Chief Post Office? Therefore, mail posted the previous evening is not despatched as they would have us believe. If this is not deceiving the public, then I don’t know what is.

Further evidence of reluctance to perform the service for which double fees are demanded is shown by the authorities’ insistence on every householder erecting a box at the gate to save postmen walking in with the mail as their predecessors have done for many years. On its own this measure is quite tolerable, but the last straw is reached when at least some postmen are too tired to blow the whistle at the gate to make people aware of their arrival. Another aspect which has puzzled me is that I frequently receive Christchurch and North Island mail on the afternoon delivery. Does this indicate that mail arriving here the previous night is deliberately withheld from the morning delivery in accordance with the policy of all pay and no work? I suppose the usual evasive answer can be expected.—Yours, etc.,

ENLIGHTENED. September 27, 1940. [The letter was referred to the Chief Postmaster (Mr H. Miller) who made the following comment: (1) All of the morning mail posted in suburban post boxes is collected and handled for despatch by the afternoon express train. It is a fact that some of the mails collected are deposited temporarily at suburban depots, a convenient measure adopted to assist the postmen who otherwise would have to carry mails from the first boxes all the way on their rounds. None of those mails is left in the depots until 4.30 p.m. (2) The extra penny paid on mail is not received by flie Post Office; it is a war charge and is used for war purposes. (3) Only on occasions when the North Island mail misses the south express service because of the delay of the steamer express are mails delayed; but they are not delayed once they reach Invercargill. All letters are delivered in the delivery following their arrival in Invercargill. The delivery of Christchurch mails is never held up; they are never delayed in transit.]