POLITICAL GOSSIP.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7870, 22 May 1891, Page 6

POLITICAL GOSSIP.

PROPOSED LOWERING OF POSTAGE

RATES.

(Br Telegraph.)

(from our correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, May 21.

I had an interview to-day with the Post-master-General relative to the proposed changes in the postal services of the colony, and I learn from Mr Ward that my Ministerial informant of yesterday was in error in stating that there was little prospect of the intercolonial penny post being established at present, owing to the loss of revenue involved in the reduction of postage by one-half, especially the heavy sacrifice of revenue encountered by reducing inland postage to a penny. Mr Ward assures mc that he is still sanguine of being able to effect the intercolonial reduction. He states further that the anticipation of excessive loss resulting thereon is wholly ungrounded. He has had the figures very carefully worked out, and finds that the loss which would be experienced by the revenue through a reduction in intercolonial postage to a penny, on the basis of the present number of letters would be only £1800 (sixpence a hundred) per annum. This, of course, is a mere trifle as compared with the sums sacrificed in reducing the English postage to 2_d and the inland to a penny, and Mr Ward has accordingly cabled to-day to the Postmaster-General of Victoria, asking him whether «if New Zealand makes the reduction to apenny on letters sent from New Zealand to Victoria, that colony will make a Like reduction on letters sent thence to New Zealand. Mr Ward hopes and expects to receive a favorable reply, and, if so, he will at once propose in the Cabinet that the reduction should be approved. He has already obtained the consent of the Cabinet to a reduction of the postage on newspapers sent from New Zealand to Australia from Id to _d. This means a loss of revenue to the extent only of £700. The loss on the reduction of inland postage to Id is now computed to be pnly £38,000, not £40,000, as first stated, so that if the losses on the intercolonial newspapers postage reduction (£700), intercolonial letter postage reduction (£1600), £2300 in all, be added, the total first loss even then will be only £40,300. The inland penny postage will come into force on the Ist July next. The Postmaster-General further tells mc he intends to ask the Legislature to sanction the amending of the classification of Postal and Telegraph officers by raising operators' maximum obtainable salary from £150 to £170, and by providing that all officers of fifteen years standing shall, after being two years at that maximum, pass on to a higher grade. The additional cost is estimated as very small, while the benefit to officers will be greatly appreciated. Mr Seddon returned to town to-day, and a long Cabinet meeting was held, but the business dealt with was not completed. All the Ministerial Bills are now in a very forward state of preparation, and some are of very bulky dimensions, including the Criminal Code, which is to be reproduced this year. It is expected that judgment in the Edwards case will be delivered on Monday or Tuesday next.

[PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.]

WELLINGTON, May 21. The pressure of work in the Government Printing Office is delaying the printing of several Bills drafted by the Government, including the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Bill. The Postmaster-General has decided to ask Parliament to make some alterations in the telegraph officers' classification. The TP-vrimiim salary in the sixth class is to be raised from £150 to £170, and no one shall remain at the maximum more than two years without being removed to the next class. The operators who joined originally as messengers are to be allowed to count in their time as messengers. No steps will be taken to set up an Appeal Board till Parliament meets.

The £40,000, the expected cost of the penny postage, includes the allowance for the reduction of the newspaper postage outside the colony to a half-penny.