THE MAILS GO THROUGH

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 85, 7 February 1941, Page 44

THE MAILS GO THROUGH

And it is Women Who Carry Them

By

J. HALKET

MILLAR

OME months ago there was an argument about postwomen in New Zealand. I don’t remember what the result was, but research among records of the Post and Telegraph Department reveals that there are no fewer than 134 women regularly engaged in the transport of mails in this country. Of these, 86 are married ene. 48 are single. They adopt an amazing variety of transport in their work. They go on foot, on bicycle, on horseback, in motor trucks, by car, launch, motor-cycle, dog cart, gig and trap, while there is one who pushes a hand-cart half a mile between the post office and the railway station, It is possible, of course, that some of these women do the work as a hobby; some may do it because they would otherwise get no mail themselves; some because they have to cover the route in any case and find even a small emolument better than none at all. Whatever

the facts are, the figures can be read in The New Zealand Gazette. For long distances the laurels go to the married women. There is one who drives a truck 86 miles once a week for £90 a year. Another travels 3442 miles a day in a motor-car. A third uses a horse and cart over a 16-mile journey twice a week. Six days a week one woman carries the mails 18 miles a day. She is paid £55 a year for doing the work on three days, and on the other three she performs the service free of cost to the Government. For £60 a year a woman goes 12 miles once every day on a motorcycle, while another’s journey consists of a 20-mile run twice a week. By Car and Horse The records have it that the journey is done "by motor-car and sometimes by horse," which seems to indicate that the route lies over one of those northern backblocks roads where cars cannot travel in bad weather. | There are five of these women mail carriers who use only horses in their work. Twice a week one of these rides four miles a day, another rides 15 miles twice a week (for £15 a year), a third goes one-and-a-half miles twice a week. Of the others, one is paid £7 10s a year for taking the mails seven miles once a week, and the last one takes them on an eight mile journey three times every week, Spartan blood must be in the woman who walks four miles every day, and in the one who walks two miles every.day, each for £10 a year. The shortest distance covered by a woman in this group is 160 yards, but the nature of that journey makes one ponder when it is learned that the contractor covers it "on foot and by boat." The longest run is one of 70 miles, covered once a week, and the woman does it in a launch. Arduous Contract What seems to be the most arduous contract is one undertaken by a single woman. She goes five miles a day on foot, and receives £18 a year. Another single woman goes the same distance every day on a bicycle, and is paid £7 16sa year. On foot one young woman twice a day carries her load of mails 500 yards, and another is paid £45 a year to take the mail safely over eight miles once a day. On horseback a single woman contractor goes 42 miles once every fortnight, and there is another who rides 174% miles every day for £37 a year. It would be interesting to know something of the difficulties encountered by these women in the course of their work. Sunshine and storm, calm and gale, on they go. Does that launch ever break down on its'70-mile run? Are those horses always placid and easy-going? Think of the times chains must come off those bicycles, and of possible punc4 on a wet night! But the mail goes through, and few of us think of the work some of those. who handle the letters have to perform,