23 JANUARY 1971, Page 7

Post-milk -paperm an

The postal strike business recalls a project once taken seriously by the International Publishing Corporation in its palmy days before the Reed takeover. It occurred to Edward Pickering and others that the organisation of a National Delivery Service 'You know we Here hoping to cause chaos with a one-day stoppage—well, production went up!' would make much sense—so that instead of each morning the postman, the milkman and the uewspaper boy making separate calls, one deliverer would make the rounds with letters, milk and dairy products, and the papers. To do this would have required the cooperation of the big milk suppliers and the breaking of the 'Post Office monopoly. It seemed a good idea then, and a better one now.