RURAL MAILS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1921, Page 2

RURAL MAILS.

CHARGES TO BE REDUCED. MINISTER EXPLAINS ASIENDED PROPOSALS. The intention to ask Cabinet to approve a 50 per cent, reduction in the proposed rate of compulsory contributions to the cost of rural mail-deliveries was announced in the House on Thursday by the Postmaster-General (Hon. J. G. Coates). The question was raised by Mr. A. D. McLeod (Wairarapa), who asked the Minister to state whether he was. in a position to reduce the original proposal of a charge of £2 for a daily and £.l for a tri-weekly service. Mr. Coates said that in response to many requests the Government had had under consideration the question of a reduction of the rates. The sole question governing the inauguration was the amount of money to be received from new services, or the amount to be lost by it. There were 270 in operation in New Zealand to-day. The loss on them amounted roughly to £5OOO. There were in the whole country 1200 applications for new services which had never had consideration, and the idea of the Government was to allow these to have a measure of consideration. Under the existing system the Department was bound to deliver letters whether a person contributed or otherwise. The associations formed to guarantee the required amount of money were complaining that their neighbors were not doing their duty in assisting the service. Under the new regulations there would be power of discrimination.

The Minister stated further that he had considered the question and looked at it from every viewpoint, and he thought that he was justified in recommending the Government to establish the system on the lines that the Government asked for at a cost of £ 1 for a daily service and 10s for a tri-weekly as against £2 and £-1.