CHANGED ADDRESSES.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 306, 10 December 1936, Page 3

CHANGED ADDRESSES.

Post Office Redirection System.

A Post Office service rendered freely to the public, that of redirecting correspondence, reaches large proportions during the holiday season. There is a congestion of business in this great State department at such times, but officers of the postal branch willingly undertake the extra work of redirection in order to s avoid big accumulations of correspondence in the mail-rooms of -the Dominion. To secure this service it is necessary' to fill in a form headed “Notification of Change of Address.” The form indicates the old address and the new one with an entry showing the period for which the order operates. It must not exceed six months, and if it is obviously a temporary change there is no need to deal with the section at the bottom of the form providing information for the Registrar of Electors under New Zealand’s scheme of compulsory enrolment. It will be seen from the form that the Post Office requires each member of a family expecting correspondence to attach a signature, as the Post Office recognises for instance that a husband has no right to receive his wife’s correspondence, or vice versa, unless both parties agree to that arrangement. The Post Office is unable to accept redirection orders, in respect to letters addressed to clubs, hotels, boarding-houses, trading concerns and public institutions, experience having shown that, particularly in respect of hotels and boardinghouses the movements of individuals are so frequent that the redirection system would break down, because of the magnitude of the task. f It may seem strange to those outside the Post Office that the department asks for information relating io countries and towns from which correspondence is expected. This question lias been prompted by long experience of the remarkable number of coincidences in surnames and initials. The correct delivery’ of correspondence sometimes hinges on

the fact that one individual has indicated a certain town as the possible origin of a. letter. Another point in which the public : I is concerned relates to the duration , of a redirection order. If “end ; :• November” is indicated, correspond- * once arriving up till the last day of j that month will be redirected though . if may’ not reach its final destination ■ I until some later date. Parcels are | I subject io a special indication, be- I j cause the Post Office requires extra | I postage to be paid on receipt if the i I redirection has involved additional j I transport charges. However, where j ■ the new’ address is in the same ■ ' postal area no further charge is I i made. Telegrams are not covered by j • the general redirection order, this | service' necessitating, if required, a ; separate instruction to the telegraph ) branch of the department.