MAILS FOR BACKBLOCKS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1921, Page 5

MAILS FOR BACKBLOCKS.

NEW SYSTEM OF DELIVERY. PLAN FOR DAILY SERVICE. By Teletyroph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Important new proposals in regard to the rural mail service were outlined by ti e Hou. J. G. Coates at Manurewa today at a function after the opening of a new post office. Dio Ministir said that at p.eaent Battlers had to secure a contractor and tbe department paid a certain sum, the settiers finding the balance of the cost of the service. The cost could not be passed on to the public. He was considering a proposal by the department that there should bo a charge of £2 a year for every settler along the road, provided there weie four settlers to ft mile for a daily delivery, and £1 a year for a tri-weekly delivery. Under the pre-« sent guarantee system a man could pull out at moment.

“If a man puts out a kerosene tin or a letter box we must deliver mail into it,” added the Minister. “We want to get at the man who won’t cairy out his share of responsibility, and under the new scheme if a man doesn’t car© to come in to it, lie can just hop on to his old pony and toddle off to the nearest post office.” It wajs the endeavor of the department to arrange as far as possible for some facilities for peo< pie who were game enough 0 settle in the backblocks. t