MAIL NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 54, 6 March 1899, Page 6

MAIL NEWS.

(VIA BRINDISI.j

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, Januray 20.

IMPERIAL PENNY POSTAGE

The retirement of Sir Spencer Walpole from the Secretaryship of the Post Office removes one of his most influential opponents from Mr Henniker Heaton's path. Like his predecessor Sir Arthur Blackwood, Sir Spencer disbelieved intensely in Imperial Penny Postage, and used all his influence against it. At the Conference in the summer he was put up to show why the project was impossible, and no one could have been more astounded and chagrined than he when a few days later the Government suddenly caved in. Sir Spencer is succeeded 'by Mr 'George Murray, who succeeded' Sir Alfred Milner as Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue. It is expressly stated that Mr Murray has accepted the position at the urgent request of her Majesty's Government, and the Duke: of Norfolk may be sincerely congratulated upon having obtained the services of so thoroughly competent a man. Mr Murray gains nothing either in salary or in status by his transference from Somerset House to St. Martin's-le-Grand. On the contrary, it may be said that in one way he loses. For as Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue he was his own master, and as Secretary to the Post Office, he will be under the Postmaster-General. The Duke of Norfolk moreover, is by no means an ornamental figure-head. Mr Murray is understood to be favourable to Imperial Penny Postage, and resolved if possible to make it a success.

Slight solatiums for official neglect in the shape of the freedom of the City of Canterbury and many letters of gratitude from India and Canada have reached Mr Heaton, who will certainly be given something by the Government next May. On dit, Her

Majesty expressed surprise to an exAustralian Governor who is much at Court that nothing had been done for the great postal reformer. 'I think ma'am, you've never had Mr Heaton presented to you,' said his lordship. 'I don't think I have,' responded the Queen, 'why?' 'Only this, ma'am, the member for Canterbury does himself •greater justice on paper than he does ■when conducting his cause in person.'

It. -will be very interesting to see whether Mr Heaton's idea is correct and people do write more frequently to their friends and relations abroad owing to the introduction of Imperial Penny Postage. At present the authorities at St. Martins-le-Grand have not made tip their minds on the point. 'We had a big boom,' Mr Badcock told a reporter, 'when the first mail was 'sent off, but since then the mails have dropped off a good deal. You see, everybody wanted to write to their friends by the first penny mail, and advertisers also took advantage of it to send over large quantities of letters. We quite expected that this would be the case, and it is quite in accordance with our experience. Of coursjg, jecent mails have beerLjaeavier,. but not to any very great extent.' Mr Badcock said that the present staff was-<quite ••able to deal with-"the extra letters. .'But'you • must remember,' he continued, 'letters are only a very small factor. Printed matter and newspapers have all along been sent for Jd for 2ozs.; they make up the bulk of the Colonial mails, so far as weight is concerned.' 'But have you no figures to show what has been the increase?' 'We have postponed talcing them until matters have settled down into their normal condition. Then we shall prepare complete returns as to. the increase.' BUTTEE BFtANDS. Mr Cameron is now busy investigating a somewhat important question for New Zealand dairies—how their butter may be distinguished by the retailer and consumer, not only from that of other factories, but from that of other - colonies. Mr Cameron has been advocating for some time the use of a speciallyshaped box for New Zealand dairy produce, with the view of differentiating N.Z. butten from all others, and of obtaining for it as high a reputation as Canterbury mutton holds in the meat market. 'Ask for : N.Z. butter and see that you get it,' is his advice. Now ,it is easy enough to ask, but difficult to get. The retailer classes all colonial butter as Australian, and the purchaser who sees a block of butter on the counter has no means of ascertaining from what part of the world it has come. Victorian butter is shipped in square boxes, and as hitherto held the highest reputation. Agents here have been advising the N.Z. manufacturers to pack their butter in similar boxes, nominally for convenience in handling, but in reality in order that all butter may pass for that having at the time the highest reputation. Mr Cameron thinks that—independently of the question of morality— the time has come for N.Z. butter to head the market, and to be known as N.Z. and no other, of a particular shaped box, which will at once enable retailer and consumer to know its country of origin. He showed me two days ago a box which had been most imwarrantly tampered with. Noticing an oblong block of butter in a provision shop, he enquired, of the attendant where It came from, "with a view of reporting as to the demand for it, its quality, and the factory from which it came. 'Australia,' was the answer. The oblong shape belied the attendant's words. On looking at the box all that was visible was 'Pure Creamer y Butter, 561bs. nett. N.Z. Produce,' and the private brand of the wholesale firm. Everything1 else had been scraped off the box; government marks, number of factory, all had been carefully erased, as. was quite evident from an inspection of the box. The consumer might or might not know that the butter came from N.Z., but the retailer could not ascertain whether it came from North, South, East, or West of N.Z. The consumer,, therefore, liking the butter of a particular factory would be unable to insist on having a continuous supply from that factory, or if he disliked it, to avoid the produce of such factory. One bad sample would damn the whole of the N.Z. produce, and the factory which exercised special care and trouble in its operations would in. no way be distinguished from its more careless aompetitors, and might have to suffer severely for the sins of the latter. Siov would the Government experts

here be able to trace any particular lot of butter, and be able to report en the merits or demerits of the produce of any particular factory. I feel sure that the Government never contemplated the obliteration of all their brands and marks when they passed their various Acts for the improvement of the dairy trade. Mr Cameron's investigations merit the careful attention of all. dairy factories and creameries. I am not expert enough io know whether his recommendations will prove effectual, but sincerely hope that his predictions may be justified, and that

You may scrape, Sj'ou may shatter the

box if you will , But the butter in shape is Zealandia s still.