Stratford News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 320, 9 July 1912, Page 3

Stratford News

From cur Resident Reporter, ANTIQUATED METHODS.

The system iu vogue at Stratford for the conveyance of mail matter from the Stratford Post Office to the Stratford railway station is one that scarcely commends itself to any man with a" grain of commercial sagacity. It may, of i course, have the saving graee of cheapness, but cheapness is not always ccon- ! omy. No man engaged in business would send two or three of his .employees to the railway station to bring- away twelve, fourteen, or twenty packages of goods on a hand-cart. He would not consider such a system safe, in the first place; and he would be justified in holding the opinion that the job wasn't one for man-power haulage. What would lie do? He would arrange with a carrier to do the Work, of course. The other night the little hand-eart was so overloaded that bags of mail matter re- ! fused to -stay aboard, and fell on to the 'railway platform. It was no fault of tli« young fellows in charge. They were using the utmost care, but even a postal official has not much control of bags of letters and papers that are stacked up on a hand-cart to a height of several feet above his head. The mail matter landed at Stratford from the expresstrain at night is fairly bulky. Under the present system a couple of lettercarriers trundle the hand-cart on to the platform a few minutes before the scheduled time of arrival of the train. Having disposed of the outward mail, they take the inward stuff, which is about twice as much as the little handcart can decently hold. Then fclte men make their way up the platform, dodging the arriving passengers and the strolling public, bawling "by your leave," or "look out." as a warning to people to take their shins away. In some places the services of a licensed carrier would be secured, but. presumably because of the proximity of the post office to the rail- : way station at Strafford, we. retain the ] did hand-eart system, which is troubl" ■ some to the men themselves and not a too safe method of carrying our corre- I spondenre to and fro by night. j

INGLEWOOD ITEMS. , ; .. I Mr. R, Buckley states-that.he has had several enquiries regarding the new "Wolseley" separator for which he has., •accepted the Tnglewood district agency; J One prominent farmer who lias piirehased_ one has {riven him a testimonial lof which he has reason to be ; proud. This man had used another: wputable separator for three-'year's.: But;a week's experience of the "Wolseley" is sufficient to convince him that he cannot' afford to do without it, and he says ;he could hardly wish for a better. On hi 3 | first-trial of the "Wolseley''.hg had. a-] pan T)f the skimmed milk set, and after 1 24 hours there was not even a scum of \ cream on it. He is quite satisfied that I the machine.does all that is fflainfea.for 5 it. : An Tnglewood Tetailer has something j to say—and that something!? not com- > plimentary—concerning the Bailway De-1 partment. Yesterday, July 8. he'.. \vai-\ still ,-anxiously awaiting the 'arrival of a parcel consigned to him at Wellington"' on July 2. The rapidity of the service-, . is certainly, nothing t# "Wwv" , Conversing with him: yesterday r ts N;e'ws' reporter .gathered that, the. Wly/way to' guarantee prompt dispatch of;'peels' from the New Plymouth warehouse,to,, ' Tnglewood by any particular train' ,yyas to arrange for one. of the employees' to bring them out, paying their fare.' He"; said he bad frequently had"to: resort to : this expensive means of parcel conveyance. There is a Chamber of Commerce : at Tnglewood now,: and such, -matters. migM well receive the 'Chamber's,-atten-tion. . From the same, informant it w.a,s , gathered that an early morning train to ■; New .would, he of preat ..service" io the people of the district,, an<i particularly t.o shopkeepers, wishing .to., transact 'business ,at the' .wholesale' houses in town. ' \ ' ."' " ; •"'"' ,