THE PENNY POST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 1, 2 January 1901, Page 2

THE PENNY POST.

CELEBRATION IN WELLINGTON.

SPEECH BY TUB WON. J. O, WAEP-

(By Telegraph.-own correspondent.)

WEWjING.TON, this day

The celebratious in connection with the inauguration of an Imperial penny postage on Monday night were successsful in everyway. An enormous crowd assembled, in front of the. jeost Office, which was brilliantly illuminated. Bells were rung and lockets and ships' bombs lired, the crowd frequently breaking out into enthusiastic cheering-. At 12.30 a.m. a large number of ladies and gentlemen assembled in the i'ost Office buildings. Here Mr Ward was presented with tne gold medallion souvenir (.subscribed in penny subscriptions) by tne postal staft throughout the colony. SPEECH' BY THE i^OSTiYLASTERGBNIfiRAU

Mr vJVard, who was received with cheers," in reply said: .Ladies and Gentlemen —The occasion upon which we have met'will be recorded in the history of the colony as a memorable one, but it will oe more particularly regarded as a remarkable epoch in the history of the great Department to which tne majority or those around me have the honour to belong (Cheers.) To be members ot a post and telegraph service in tne most southern country in the worjd is a distinction you mfiv be justly proud of. because that country has been the first to adopt a universal "penny post. (Cheers.) That you have thought proper to mark this great event by the handsome presentation- that has just been made to me is a matter ror gratification, not only to myself but to all those who will be affected either directly cr indirectly by the retorra Which we meet together to' emphasise to-night. I predict that this is an historical gathering, marking as it does a great event in the history of the colony, and one that those who are taking part in it will not readily forget. (Cheers.) I was pleased to learn that the contributions of the staff to the presentation to me Had been limited to a penny, because it struck me that the amount of the contribution was in keeping with the advanced Postal change I have already mentioned, which enables us to send out letters at the penny rate. I have upon more than one occasion received-strong evidence of tne kiu.llv feeling that exists Detween the post and telegraph staff and myself, but I may say. without in any way derogating from any of the pleasant and Happy events tliot have preceded this, that historically the souvenir which in your thoughtfulness you have deemed me worthy of receiving to-night will far outweigh" any- gifts which it has been my privilege to accept at your hands in the past. (Cheers.) Let me say that I shall always treasure the gold penny postage shield presented me by the officers oi the Department to-night, as on© which will always identify me as Postmaster-Gene-ral of the colony at one of the most important epochs in its history. I venture to say that this great movement will add distinction to our Department, and place the New Zealand post ana telegraph seivice in the foremost rank of Government Departments among civilized nations in connection with advanced postal reform. ■ DIFFICULTIES TO OVERCOME. It is needless for me to say that the introduction of the penny postage in New Zealand has not boon accomplished without a great deal of mature consideration and unceasing effort. Difficulties in carrying on the government of countries from time to time (necessarily present themselves, and when one is dealing with, a reform that means a loss of £80,000 per annum to tlie country, it goes without saying that it lias not been an easy thing to bring about. (Cheers.) When 1 tell you that as Post-master-General of this colony in the year 1891 I was making1 strenuous efforts to have a penny postage system adopted here, and that I have been working incessantly ever since with, the same object, and that we are now only consummating the fuliilment of one of my first political ambitions, you will understand in some degree the feelings that I have in. addressing you this evening. (Cheers.) As you are doubtless aware,. I am credited by many people with, being of too sanguine a temperament, and X may be considered by 'some only illustrating that* estimate of my character when I venture to predict that the great reduction in revenue to which I have referred will be made up in a few years; but I <io give it forth as my opinion that the whole of the concessions which, we are now making by establishing universal penny postage will have more than recouped themselves in the coffers of the Treasury witliln a few years from now. (Cheers.) Indeed, I should not be very much surprised to find the reduction made up within a shorter period than I anticipate, p.nd even if it were not. so made up the greatly increased conveniences which, the users of the Postal Department would enjoy would entirely outweigh any temporary iuia.ucial loss which the colony might suffer. As a general principle the Postal Department should not be used as a taxing machine. The taxation of any enlightened country should be obtained by other means than that of utilising the State departments for revenue purposes, because tho.se departments are carrying on their business purely and simply for the benefit of the people who have to maintain the finances of the country. (Cheers.) Each department of the State, on the other hand,should bo self-supporting, and in New Zealand mnir.r pf them are no doubt more than selfr supporting, but what I mean to convey to you is that if such departments wore f.o be puiposely used in order to extract taxation, then it would not be a sound pol'ey to follow. As the revenues of the cunibia*! branches of the service are now greatly in excess of the expenditure, the time is opportune for carrying out such an experiment as that upon which we have just embarked, and I look forward with great confidence to our universal penny postage system being proved a success in every possible way. (Cheers.) HISTORY OP THE .PENNY POST. It is not necessary for "me to tell you that wo are not the first country in the world that has had penny postage with:u its confines. That distinction belongs to fke.Mothei Country, where in the year 1840 Sir Rowland Hill, in the face of great difficulty and opposition, bestowed the blessing of peony postage upon the people of Great Britain. We, however, can lay claim to one distinction, and that is that we are the first country in the world that has, at one stroke, Inaugurated an universal pcany postage system, amd we are prepared to send our letters at the cost of a penny to any country that will allow us to do so. HeSG H may bo interesting to note that rj early as the .i:)tL century a primitive letter post osls:ecl in the town of Hans?, and in 1-150 the House of Thurn amd Tax's, an o!d, extensive, and noblo family sprung from the Milan ffUEily Delia Torre, established a p ist th.H>ug!i the Tyrol, and 'nrei1 iiuriiig the reign of Maximilian the First, the first real post was established between Vienna and Brussels in the year 1516. The family of Thurai and Taxis continued to enjoy a great monopoly in postal matters, and enormous profits were made by them, their postal business being ultimately purchased by the German State. The House of Thurn and Taxis possessed up to ISO" in fief under the Empire the administrative power of tne posts over the principalities of Hohenzolfoni, the Schwardburgs, the grand duchies of Saxeweimar Nassau, Saxe Meiningen, anfl Saxe-Coburg, the electorate of Hesse and the free cities of Frankfort on the •Maine, Hamburg, Bremen, and Lubeck. The right when ceded to Prussia cost that country a sum nearly equal to half a million sterling. France had a rudimentary post office which was organised by the University of Paris as early as the 13th century. Spain, too, enjoyed a postal system, bat tlie restrictions amounted almost to a; prohibition upon the transmission of correspondence. Turning to Great Britain, we find that epistolary intercourse was carried ou» in the early part of the 13th century by mean's of messengers who wore royal livery, and during the reign of Edward I. "posts" were established where horses could be hired, rendering it unnecessary for the messengers to provide themselves with horses. The office of "master of the postes" which existed i-n tlie reign of Henry VIII., and instituted by him, wag first filled by Sir Brian Tuke, who is designated in the record of 1533 as Maglster Nunclorum Cursoruin Sive Postamm within England and in other parts of the King's dominions beyond the seas, and of whom there Is a clear record of his being the first English postmaster. In 1567 Thos.- Randolph was appointed "Chief Postmaster1" by Queen Elizabeth, and was succeeded by Jas. Stanhopo, first Lord Stanhope, who was appointed in 3G07 under the title of "Master

of the Postes and Messengers," with a fee of 100 marks a year. . GROWTH OF POSTAL. SERVICES. I have referred to the initial stages of postal history in order to sjjow wata re» ajarlsabie changes jaavs taKen piacs in tnat gi-eat ana useful institution. At ono time under tlie tintiaa coaimoiivv6Q,iui' tua jx)stai revenues were iajmeu out; in Itioa tne pogt ollice was l^rmeu to joiui Mam«y lor £iy,WK) a yeaj-. By degreea poatal business was carried on by means of mail coaqja services, with relays or ftorses at diilerent stages, it was not, however, until the aavent of Kowiand Hill that any really great postal reform was eiiecteu. The Inland British rates ruling in lbcS7 were l'or'a single letter not exceeding 15 miles 4d; ID miies ana not over 20, bd; 20 miles and not over 30, 6d; uO miles and not over isO, Hd; 60 miles and not over 120, 9d; 120 and not over li'O, lOd; IVO to 2'iO, lid; 200 to 300, 1/; and for every 100 above 300, Id; and for every -fractional part of 100 above 300 miles, Id. For every letter conveyed by the post in any part of Scotland by a mail coach with more than two wheels, an additional rate of Id was charged. A single letter under these rates cost 1/1J from Kdinburgh or Glasgow to .London, and from .London to .Liverpool 11U, and to Cork 1/5. A single letter meant a single sheet of paper, ana if the single sheet contained an enclosure the postage was double. When there were two enclosures the postage was trebled, and if a letter weighed an ounce with or without enclosures, a postage of 4/4J would have been charged from London to Edinburgh, or four times the cost of a single letter. At that tlme'there was a system in operation which led to abuses of the worst kind. During the rein of Charles 11. franking privileges were extended for the first time to members of both Houses of Parliament, ana you may obtain some idea of what this system meant when I tell you that the value or the franking for one year in 1887 was the prodigious sum of £1,(K)4,574. Seven millions of franks were affixed to packets otherwise chargeable with postage. SIR ROWLAND HILL. The position m wnich Sir Rowland Hili found himself therefore was one- that to a keen enthusiast and fearless reformer attorded splendid material to work' upon, ana here 1 may for the benefit of the younger community say tnat the circumstances of Rowland Hill's earlier life had much to do with his arcer career as a great postal reformer, and helped to leave his name indelibly imprinted upon the historical records of the postal world for all time: iie was one of a family of five boys, and it was the practice of their father and mother to encourage them in the winter months to discuss topics of general interest such as political, social, physical and other questions. . it was Curing these debates that the boys gave evidence of their particular stamp of character. One became a barrister, one became chief stamp officer ac Somerset House, one became head of the famous Brussels School at Tottenham, one attained the position of Inspector of Prisons in Scotland and afterwards Assistant Secretary to the post office, and Rowland finally became secretary to the British post office. MR 'HENNIKER HEATOK. And now I cannot, coming to recent times, refrain from making reference to one who has done yeoman service m bringing about postal reforms in Great Britain. I mean Mr Henniker Heaton, M.P. (Loud cheers.) In the House of Commons and in the British Press he has done more than any other man in recent years to drive home the fact that the British, postal service could be much more perfect than it was, and I have no hesitation in saying that it is due to his indomitable perseverance an"d unceasing efforts that the reduction of the over-sea postage to one penny from England to some other countries was due. It is to such enthusiastic spirits as Mr Henniker Heaton that we have to look for the future benefits that can only be obtained as the result of everlastingly tapping at the heavy door of officialdom which, from its very nature, is slow to move and very chary of effecting reforms which mean the giving away of large revenues. COUNTRIES TO WHICH PENNY POSTAGE APPLIES.

However, from to-day we can send our letters for one penny to the following countries:—United Kingdom, Cook, Ducie, Easter Norfolk, Pitcairn, Samoan, Society, Solomon and Tongan Islands, New Hebrides, and the undermentioned British possessions and protectorates'; viz?; Adien, Ascension, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermudas, British Central Africa Protectorate, British East Africa Protectorate, British Guiana, British Honduras, British North Borneo, Canada, Cape Colony, Ceylon, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Gambia. Gibraltar, Gold Coast, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Johore, Labuan, Lagos, Leeward Islands, viz., Antijua, St. Kitt's, Nevis, Dominica, Montserrat and the Virgin Islands, Malay States (protected), viz., Perak, Selangor, Negrisembelan and Pahang, Malta, Mauritius Natal, New Foundland, Nigeria (Northern), including Borog, Idda and Lakoja, Nigeria (Southern), including. Akassa, Asaba, Benin, Bonny, Brass, Burutu, Calabar (new and old), Onitsha, Opobo and Waree. or Forcados, Orange River Colony, St. Helena, Sarawak, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Straits Settlements, Bago, Transvaal, Trinidad, Turk's Islands, Uganda, Windward Islands, viz.. Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the ; Grenadines (Zanzibar). NEW ZEALAND POSTAL HISTORY. New Zealand ceased to b& a dependency of New South Wales by proclamation made on 3rd May, 1841, ana was ruied as a Crown colony until the granting of a constitution, by tti& Imperial Parliament. The Colonial Secretary (who was a permanent official appointed by the British Government) carried into effect the Governor's commands in postal' atfairs, but was at the same time t:ie actual execu"tive of the Department, mere being no Postmaster-General over the colony. On the above date Mr Thos. Patton was appointed Postmaster at /lackland, the new capital. There were then six post offices in the colony—Auckland, lCorarareka, Hokianga, Waimate, Kaipara and Wellington, all in the North Island. Mr William Connell was appointed PostmasterGeneral on the 3rd September, 1841. Overland mails had been established to a limited extent, but the rates by such conveyance were high, at the close of 1841 one shilling per half ounce being charged on letters by the fortnightly mail between Wellington and Wanganui, a distance or 150 miles. The first ordinance for regulating the conveyance and postage of letters was enacted on January 7th, 1842, to come into operation on the Ist Marcn. A uniform rate was fixed of (id per halt ounce for letters transmitted Irom any post office within the colony' or to any place beyond the seas. Newspapers were conveyed free. Also half ounce letter's sent or received by soldiers, seamen or marines. This ordinance was disallowed by Her Majesty on the ground that the Postmaster General (of Great Britain) had undertaken the conduct of tvs postal service. The Treasury warrant came into operation in the colony on 6th September, 1543, and by it there was levied a progressive inland rate of postage according to the rate of 4d per half ounce for letters, and a charge of Id for newspapers. During 1844 a regular postal communication was established overland between Auckland, New Plymouth and Wellington twice in each month, mails being sent by sea only as opportunities offered. The postal service of New Zealand owes much to Sir G. Grey's foresight, he having introduced many beneficial regulations and prepared the way for the issue of postage stamps. (Cheers.) In September, 1848, the control of the post office having been placed by the Home Government under the local Government, a second ordinance was passed abolishing all shipmasters' gratuHies and rates on newspapers. The inland postage on "sea" letters transmitted from the,port of arrival to any otner port in the colony was reduced from 4a to Id per half ounce. By proclamation dated 31st December, 1850, from Government Houso, Wellington, His. Excellency Sir G. Giey repealed the previous rates of postage in New Zealand 4d per ounce, and established a new coioniai rate of postage, yiz., letters 2d per half ounce; book packets, 2d per 4ozs: soldiers' and sailors" letters, while recipients were employe! on Her Majesty's service, were charged Id per letter not exceeding half ounce. The postage on all letters and papers despatched from New Zealand to places beyond the colony was directed to be paid In the colony. The proclamation further announced that a system of prepayment of letters by stamps should be introduced into New Zealand of vsnch form as may be prescribed by me local Government, but it was not until 13th July. 1555, that the first issue of stamps was made. The order for the dies had been entrusted to Messrs Perkins, Bacon and Co.. of London, and the design was a reoro.fhiotion of 4 portrait of Her

Majesty the Queen painted b y the late aJ ony at the period. The gross revenue of the General Post-office for this year 185°-, 56^ Wi S °n)y £3000. Compare thia with the figures for last year, SUst March 1900, gross revenue, £325,000. "The Local Posts Act, 1556," authorised postmasters to estabhsn local posts upon requisition from thp Superintendent of the provinces (into which New Zealand was then divided under the colony's new constitution) The Superintendents were also empowered to fix the local rates of postage Availins itself of this power the Provincial Government of Canterbury authorised 'a postal rate of Id for letters not exceeding half ounce, delivered in the" towns of ' Lyttelton and Christchurch, and between" other towns in the district, and to places within the colony of New Zealand. This came into force on Ist January; 1857 anc i is the first example of a la miana rate as i well as the earliest institution of a town '< delivery within the colony. Prior to 1857 I the entire cost of conveying the New Zealand mails to and from.lhe United Kingdom and Sydney, New South Wales was borne by the British Government at« : charge of Gd per half ounce roY letters by long- sea route packet. This was of cour™ lons before the establishment k the ovS land route. The New Zealand -Goverr ; ment contracted with the owners of sail, in-? ships and steamers for the'eonvevane' of its English and other ittail^' to ant from Sydney to connect witft" the aboVf service. For this the colonial rate of '>o \ per half ounce was chargedfthe postaia on single rate'letters from Ifew Zealani to the United Kingdom was ad, anda further postage of 6d was paid by the recipient of the letter, which .defrayed th» cost of ship postage and inlanl postage in the United Kingdom. & vice rersa, 2d per half ounce was collected on all letters arriving in New Zealand. Ti[e number O f ■ ' officials engaged in the chief |ost "offices of Auckland in ISSG was as "roiiow*-" ■ Auckland: Postmaster, chief clerk secon'ii clerk, messenger. Wellington:' Postmaster, clerk. In the remaining!;chief dfficta of the provinces the postmaster was the sole official, at Otago. the postmaster b&. ■ ing also clerk to the Collectoij of Customs . The only use for the penny s^mpin thosa days was for the non-eommfesioned offl- ■'■ c.ers and men of naval militpjy °r Attitude op Australia. ', It is with great regret that I find myself ' in the position of uavmg tofarinounce to ' you ithat Australia is so £2r unaDle to allow us to send our letters fo that great country at the same'rate as We. are send- I ing them at to other more dfetant places', As you are aware, the peoplefof Australia " are undergoing a great institutional • change. To-day Australia jhll be Celebrating the birth of a newj; nation, -, My. representations to the leadirif public men • there to allow our penny postage system to extend to their country jhave so far not been successful in consecyence of the Federal Government, whichjwiil rule the destinies of the new liation) not having: yet been established, and tb|re being 'no federal post office. I have [received tlie. following cables:— j ..,'. ;' "Hon. J. G. Ward, M.P., I>.M.G., Wei- ' lington.—Reciproca-te your jgood wishes ] and appreciate spirit of yqir offer. No Federal Postmaster-GeneraEpresent and no Federal post-office for scpie time yet. Your present proposal thereSre solely for separate States. Compliments'^ of ,ths season.—Edmund Barton, Sydney, 29." ■ ' "Hon. J. G. Ward, Welli&toh.—Pennv post. Have conferred with Er Gurr anof" ■ regret that we cannot now disturb th* previous decision, but in. thelvent of any. letters having been posted to New Zea. land in expectation of coming through fof Id these will be deliverffl. You. wil] therefore notify your public |hat postage • to Australia will be 2d. We hive informed other colonies in foregoing terms, but all those administrations heardjfrom so far are in favour of conference recommendation being adopted.—W. P.i Crick, Postr •master-General, Sydney, 31§. • Therefore, until the Federa|Government is in control of the respffltive States, which have hitherto administered the postal affairs of Australia independently', they are unable at this junfure to allow our letters to go into the# country for-, one penny. There are m&'y thousands of Australian residents is N.Z. whose friends are scattered throughout Australia, and it is no doubt ajgreat. .disap--, '^ointmenl^ti them thatf-th^ cannot .taka^ advantage of the penny posfge system. I have every h*pe, however^ and, indeed, ; the greatest confidence, inbelieving that the public spiritedness of m new Federal Government of Australiafwill -in time prompt them to comply wh our representations and enable us ifjNew Zealand to at least send our lettersjto their country at the same rate as we|an send them elsewhere. At any rate, I,piow.that you join with me in wishing 4* great Com- 3 monwealth of Australia asfuccessful ana - glorious a career under te new constitution, ana you may deptid that it will not be for the want of strpg representar tion on our part if we depot succeed in our purpose. (Cheers.) | CONCLUDING REIARKS. It now only remains for|e to say that I ' feel it an especial pleasuf to occupy the position of Postniaster-Gefral of this colony at such an importai)fjuncture in its affairs, and to see this gift postal reform brought into operation, f has not fallen, to the lot of many men to|e put into practical operation, as I am.|w doing, a favourite reform that fromSie time when I first entered the political §?na I have steadily and persistently strhu to bring about. I can only trust that it p be as successful as we one ana all -vSli it to be, and that Mr Gray, the ablesecretary of our Post Office here, and |s iuardrworking . staff in all grades of it t|pughout the colony, may find that the iifease of business as the result of this refoij will be such as to render continuous addfons to the staff absolutely necessary. I fe this oyportunity of expressing my pefinal acknowledgments to the head of tfdepartinent and to the staff for the 'unifm courtesy and, attention accorded by tsn to the public in all parts of the cosr- This hag no doubt do-no a great -deal (niake^ the, department universally popuf (Cheers.) Ac 4 this early hour on the lM January in the j now century I desire to|sli the people of { the colony every prosplty, and . I trust . that the staffs of the difrent departmentsover which I have the four of presiding may, alone: with all otffl branches of the public service, particlpf ™ this prosperity to the full. Let nielpTV for a moment refer to one pleasant jfure of the inauguration of our penny stage system, and that is the fact that th|xecutive Council, v,hich this morning atfWy brought into operation the Act thafjithorised the inception of the penny pcfge.was presided over by Sir Jas. PremJiNt in the capacity of Deputy-Governsafter a very long . and distinguished careff>°tk as a barrister and a judge, durin#"en he had been noted as a lawyer foris marked ability, and as a judge for hlftrict impartiality and high motives. It lpot unfitting that .; his should iiave been fjhand to.complete ■ the official document??" 011 renders- the jf Penny Postage Act an^ratiye one in this § colony. It now only *fcains for me, ou I behalf of tlie people oflte colony, to wish ,1 good luck and the gveft possible success i to the penny postageform, and to trust M that it may be the m|f of bringing more i closely together theffly^nS portions of .<--. the Empire, and thaP the train of the 1 adoption of this univw penny postage by p us may follow everywel" country which. |" makes any claim to||M' sal:io-ri. I regret, J; as I am sure you all (Phe absence of the f Right Hon. Mr Sedof the able and dis- /| tinguished Premier ip®l' country, who, f: had he been In the c*sy> would have honoured us with his pre^e and added his re- .' marks in support ofte reform that has been brought about ftoe Government of which I\p has so lon| een the responsible •! lead. He is, howevilM you know, doing nis duty on behalf ofic. olollJ' at the Com- f monwealth eelebrat?! in Australia, and i to-day he cabled mei|esPonse to my wire I that he would do hfttmost on the other | side to allow us to sj!our letters there at * the penny rate. (C|fs-) I again thans ',& all those who have?!^'ll^!^ remembered P me upon this histo^ ccasion, and I as- * sure you that I shi^ways treasure the '■> gift received by n# a memento of a f unique and memom^ vent in the history 'Is of the colony. (Lo^^eers.)