POSTAL REFORMS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9939, 10 December 1900, Page 4

POSTAL REFORMS.

As the postal reforms inaugurated by the Hon. J. G. Ward in his capacity of Postmaster-General will come into force on the first day of January next a few words of explanation concerning their scope will not be out of place. The foremost position is occupied by the new penny postal service. This, while not so " universal" as it is styled, is fairly comprehensive. We may, indeed, regard the exceptions as likely to be short-lived. The most noticeable is of course Australia. The federation scheme has not so far resulted in the ' Australian colonies agreeing to the scheme of postal reductions initiated by the Mother Country, and consequently until that is brought about the existing charge of twopence will be maintained for each letter not exceeding half an ounce in weight posted to Australia. Bat letters intended for Great Britain, for by far the majority of the British possessions (including Canada and all parts of South Africa) and for any portion of New Zealand will only require a penny stamp for each half ounce or fraction of half ounce iv weight. A letter may also be sent for a penny to the Samoan, Tongan, Society, Solomon, and _Tew Hebrides groups. A full list of the places embraced in the penny postal scheme can be seen at any post office. The rules as to commercial papers, sample packets, magazines, etc., are simplified, and in some cases the fees are reduced. With regard to parcels, we recently published the details of Mr Ward's reductions in regard to packages for tbe United Kingdom and other places abroad. In New Zealand tbe charge for parcels will be, on and after the Ist of January next, one shilling for three pounds, with a charge of sixpence for one pound or under. It may be as well to state that although it will still cost twopence to send a letter to Australia (that is to say, a letter consisting of an enclosure within an envelope), what is styled a "letter card," which gives quite as much privacy, can be purchased for three halfpence and posted to Australia. There may be some occult reason for this anomaly, but it is beyond our power to discern it.