in the Hastings Post-office many time delivered Mr. Rock’s letters, which as Mr. Rock’s factory and dwelling at White Rock were then out of Hastings, had to be sent for, - a distance of three quarters of a mile] But he (Ald. Rock) would ask how would it be with visitors receiving letters variously directed, and whom the Postmaster had no means of tracing? A remedy, he thought would be found in having only one Post-Office. [In such cases whether one post-office or more than one would make no difference; for if letters were so indefinitely addressed that the Postmaster had no means of tracing the persons to whom they were addressed, they would be sent to the “Dead Letter” department, where even in 1899, it is officially stated that the number received every year amounts to millions].
Coun. Winter had arrived at the conclusion of Mr. Ross’s remarks to vote against the resolution. On the previous discussion of the question he had taken a very active part, and from the feelings of Mr. Tilley, the Postmaster-General’s secretary, he thought there was no chance of getting any change. But Mr. Ginner had thrown out hints respecting something about which he was completely in the dark. He thought it would have been well if some further information had been afforded the Council. If he were to understand that Government wished that some step should be taken on the part of Hastings to afford a remedy for the existing evil, he would be the first to support it [Mr. Ginner – “It is”]
Coun. Bromley had hoped to have heard stated the number of misdirected letters which came into the borough every year, and was told by Mr. Ginner that it was between ten and twelve thousand, three years ago, and had gone on increasing ever since. Then, continued Mr. Bromley, it showed the existence of an evil which required a remedy.
Ald. Ross , in reply, thought they were all well acquainted with the subject, and he had little faith that opinions would be much altered if the Council talked about it all night. He took it up as a borough question and his opinion was that by taking away a portion of the town, they were taking away also a part of her good name by calling that part St. Leonards. St. Leonards had her Act and her boundary, but beyond that boundary it had been Hastings for a thousand years. [Here, again, as in all his previous contentions, Mr. Ross claims a certain district in the borough of Hastings as the town of Hastings, which latter is described or denoted in old Guide books and itineraries as consisting of two parallel streets running nearly north and south opening to the sea, and a suburb extending along the beach, at one time to the west end of George street, and at a later period to the Priory Water. -
