problem with Bermuda's late overseas mail.

Postmaster General Clevelyn Crichlow said post, even express items, are being held up at New York because of difficulties with the US Postal Service and airlines.

Some mail has been left sitting at US airports until carriers decide they will fly it to Bermuda, which has meant express mail -- which normally takes three days -- takes over a month to arrive.

Only last week officials in Bermuda discovered several containers of mail -- some dated as far back as December 8 -- were waiting at Newark airport for dispatch.

They suggested it be sent via British Airways to the UK and finally last Tuesday the mail -- which contained 95 bags of express post -- arrived.

Mr. Crichlow said they had raised the issue with the carriers and the US Postal Service, but didn't expect the situation to change.

"I have sent them some very scathing letters but I know I won't get a reply,'' he said.

"There is a meeting next week and they are going to go through the same thing again, how can we do much better? We can't do much better because the airlines are holding us at ransom,'' he said.

"During the winter they have smaller planes on so they don't have the capacity for mail -- they take whatever they want to.

"Mail is given a low priority with the airlines, at one point it had top priority now it is less -- it is more profitable to take passengers.'' The recent problem arose after a Bermuda Post Office worker visiting JFK questioned why the Island was not receiving regular shipments of mail. It was then that several containers were discovered sitting at Newark airport.

After the US Postal Service delivers the mail to the airports, its responsibility ends and it is up to the airlines to bring it to Bermuda.

"The US Postal Service is a great institution, but they are really concerned with local mail rather than international mail,'' said Mr. Crichlow.

In addition, late delivery is made worse by the bedraggled state in which it arrives in Bermuda -- further upsetting the customers.

"I ask the people to please bear with us until things get better. It is really something we have no control over, I shudder to think that it happens but we have no control over it.'' The problem rarely affects mail leaving Bermuda and usually disappears when the larger planes return in the summer.