MOBILE POST OFFICE Dear friends,
Today in aresponding mail about “Madras Nalla Madras”, there was a reference to MobilePost office by Subramoniam Gopalswamy. Thismade me to think about Old post office working and today’s scenario of postoffice with nostalgic memories. Sincerely, GopalaKrishnan 2-11-2010 Reposted with additions and updating on 28-4-2021.R. Gopala Krishnan 1. Mobile Post office. During 60’swhen telecommunications had just started expanding, most of the communicationwas through postal correspondence. Most of the telephone exchanges were manual-“Number please”exchanges. Automatic exchanges started appearing in cities. In additionto regular post offices there used to be mobile post offices working on big vanssimilar to today’s mail vans in cities. These post offices carried out 50% of postalfunctions. They would be camping in specified locations and a display of mobilepost office functioning time was displayed in those locations. People used toassemble nearby mobile post office for their works and used to form Que. These postoffices issued all postal stationeries; there was a post box in the vehicle,counters for registration, money order bookings and registered items. The function not carried out was delivery ofletters, Postal savings bank and such jobs like Radio receiver license acceptingetc. I was in Chennai from 1964 end. In Chennai city 6-8 Mobile Post office vans would be functioning from morning 10 AM on differentlocations in the city till 8 PM or so . Above one hour the mobile van would campdepending on the business statistics. The Queuefor registration, express delivery, airmail, money order, etc. was many times morecomparing to post offices. The persons on shift duties had the best advantagefrom them. Mobile Post officeswere there in Trivandrum city also as late as 1990. By about Feb 2015 mobile post offices were stopped fromfunctioning. Probably a down fall in business transactions maybe the reason in general with post offices. However, Iread through google search mobile post offices are again started from last year (2020) due tocoronavirus spreading and avoid que in post office 2. Radio receiver license It may be newstoday for youngsters, for keeping a radio on those day’s a valid license wasrequired. While we purchase the radio, the license fee was collected for firstyear and license issued in the name of purchaser. Every yearit had to be renewed by going over to post office and paying annual licencefee. There was a category of officerscalled Wireless inspector. Their duty was to check for licence for Radiosinspecting the premises and if licence was not renewed take necessary action including seizure ofset. On thosedays if a radio was given for repair, the shop owner would ask for licensealong with. Later thepayment of license was made liberal. Three or four years license amount couldbe paid in advance avoiding hustle. After a period, a bulk collection of amountas lifetime licence feewas introduced while the radio was purchased. Somewhere in1975’s through a parliament bill the radio license got abolished. Probably the wireless inspectors were assigned other works. 3. Postallife insurance On earlierdays there were only two players in Insurance field- LIC and PLI in smallerscale. Advertisement for PLI was very less other than in Post offices. Mostlythe staff availed the insurance from postal and telecom sides. The premiumswere deducted from salaries. No receipt were there but well accounted. Loans were given from thepremiums paid on request. On maturity the nearby post office paidthe amount. PLI still functions withpost offices. PLI Bonus ishigher comparing to LIC. 4. Express delivery and Airmail Fordelivering letters onSundays express delivery system was there. We had to affix morestamp and slip for express delivery. Similarly for Airmail also. As themethod functioning got modified with regular airmails to distant stations, theair mail slip became not a required item and the fee too got deleted. I received my interview letter for high school assistant as express delivery latter and appointment order by hand after interview When speedpost appeared, and developed the express delivery got abolished. Now no delivery on Sundays forspeed post also. 5. Telegraph money orders. There was asystem of telegraph money orders with in India. In addition to money orders thecommission for transmitting the details by telegraph lines were received bypost office. The information was transmitted telegraphically to the distantpost offices and payment was done early avoiding money order form sendingdelay. I joined asclerk in Madras CTO as clerk in 1964 September. Nostalgic memories of booing oftelegraphic money orders in the counter comes to me. Special postman would comewith TMO and money for booking with at least 15 money orders at fixedintervals. Today there is no telegraphic charge, simply your money order form is scanned and transmitted to distant end with inan hour through broad band internet circuits. Money order charges are veryless. I was sending Subscription for Srutivani- Brahmin cultural Magazine published from Trichur by money order tillabout 5 years back. Now system changed, we can send cheques along with theirform filled with cheque in the reply cover supplied by them with stamp affixed.At one time I pay subscription for three years. 6. Money orders On thosedays people will be waiting for Postman. Money order was the common form of sendingmoney. Banks were notin the reach of even middle class. Probably upper classes or uppermiddle class used the bank services. The popularising of banks started by about1965’s and very common by 1980’s. Myfather was receiving his pension by money order. After retirement he had to go to treasury for pensionfor few years! Banks usedto send mail transfer for transferring of money with a commission. But they dependedthe postal services for sending them. Today with in India to any account transferring money ispossible from a bank to its branch with nil charge. But stillmoney order brings the money to the hand for the poor and middle class and lesslearnt. Many people prefer payments by money order. 7. V P P There was asystem value payable bypost. Books and other items were received through them. Postman wouldcollect the money. If you refuse, the postman will take back. I think the senderhad to bear double the cost on such occasions. I have checked through google-VPP service exist in post offices. Now amazon etc. have their own systems ofcollecting money after delivery. 8. The speed post I think thespeed post service now available in many post offices is very liberal and takecare of our needs at a reasonable cost. Speed post service charges are lesserto foreign countries comparing to courier charges. The functioning of courier services has partiallyaffected postal service. Banksbecoming popular most of the money transactions are through bank. Theregistered post is still very much preferred for sending documents. 9 Telegraph services. Once verymuch wanted telegraph service gradually became not an essential service afterdevelopment of phones, especially mobile phones. The telegraph service had itsend on July 15th2013. With iphones and smart phones, and free WhatsApp,even mobile service has a fall. At one time very much used mobiles also is onoccasions or urgent necessities by mostnow. 10. Conclusion On earlierdays greetings were send through post. Now most talk phonically and it is feltmore sufficient. Personal communication has become mostly through phone.General communications from offices and institutions are received through post. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/792228339.1107251.1619595764985%40mail.yahoo.com.
