UP-COUNTRY MAIL SERVICE.

Westport Times, Volume VII, Issue 1129, 2 December 1873, Page 2

UP-COUNTRY MAIL SERVICE.

(To the Editor of the Westport Times.) Slit, —Knowing you allow in your valuable paper free discussions upon all public matters, I hope you will insert this. Seeing in last Tuesday's issue a letter signed " Traveller," in which the writer tries to show the Westport Postmaster and public the proper time for dispatching mails to Reefton and Lyell. I think his presumption can only be excused by his want of local knowledge, when he states that the mails can be conveyed to and from Christy's Junction to Westport in one day—a distance of nearly 60 miles. The distance to Christys is 31 miles, over a mountainous road, not quite in thorough" repair, which makes it impossible to get with safety a greater travelling speed than a quick walk out of a horse, packing heavy mails bags on its back. Except for the first nine miles which is as good for horse-travelling as the newly constructed Nine Mile road, from which the above writer expects such wondrous advantages —which only shortens the distance about two miles. " Traveller" proposes that a mailman should leave Westport at 6 a.m., and arrive at Junction by 1 p.m. He next proposes dispatching the mail from Junction at 2 p.m. same day, arriving in Westport same night, doubtless forgetting the fact that it becomes dark at 5 p.m, during winter months, thus in his imaginary haste he only allows from 2 to 5 p m., 3 hours daylight to do 30 miles upon one of the worst roads in New Zealand. His next grievance is that it takes two days for a letter posted at Lyell to reach Reefton ; forgetting the fact that the Lyell mail must be sent down a day previous to the arrival of Westport and Reefton mails at the Junction, in order to forward it by Reefton and Westport contractors on the following morning. Had " Traveller " been the successful tenderer for mails he would be obliged to open an infirmary for the cure of horses broken down by his imaginary haste in travelling the Buller road. He only shows his ignorance of local geography by rushing into print. I am, <fec, EX-MINER.