OUR POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 76, 1 April 1891, Page 3

OUR POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH SYSTEM.

SUGGESTED ALTERATIONS. The rcoant Postal Conference in Sydney i ham resulted in a large number of alterations being suggested in the Poital and Telegraph systems of the colonies, chiefly in tho direction of increasing the liberality of the service to tho public. Through the oourtrsy of the Hon. J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General, and Mr W. Gray, Seoretary to tho General Poit Office, we are enabled to givo an outline of the piinoipal new ft attires, whioh have yot to be considered by the respective Govornmenta, and whioh are ai follows :— Provision is to be made for a soheme for the insurance of goods sent by parcels post. The premium is to be 6d for every £5, bnt the amount of Insurance will bo limited to wfioO in the aiae of pirools en route to 1.0n T don, and jßQOfor parcels to be delivered within New Zealand or interoolonially. The insurance will be effented by thecender of the parcel at the Post Olfloe counter just in the nay that letters are now registered, Very little extra trouble to the publio will bo entailed. The maximum amount that oan be sent by Poit Office money ordor is to be raised from .£lO to .£2O. Theratos for intercolonial romittanoeß are to be reduoed to the following scale :- 6d up to £212 1 Is np to £i 1 Is 8d up to £7 ; 2a np to jBIO; and so on up to tho maximum of 4a for £20 Hithorto the ohargo has boen Is for Bums up to £!>, and 2« np to JBIO, tho maximum amount that could bo remitted in one order. For the puiposcs of newspaper postage, the maximum rato of a newspaper transmitted by post is to be ICdzs. Thero is at present n> reitriotion upon the weight, but in England a limit of 4ozs is Axed. Intercolonial postage on newepapora, whioh is now ohar&ed at a Id per paper, is to be reduoed to id each. A fte of 5s will be required for registration of newspapers at the General Post Office $0 ensure them the bonefit of newspaper ppatage rates. At present registration is free. Under any new oontraofc for tha San Francisco mail neryioe, New j^oaland is to charge son - coutraoting colonies 12a per lb for letters, instead of 25a 4d as at present Asa reciprocal concession, New Zeiland is to get the benefit of the Federal sorvioo on the same torais. Trado accounts and similar doouments jybioh are now charged ordinary letter (rates, ar.o to pass at book ratoa as a general system It is probable that the New Zoaland General Post Office wjll rrmko a further rrduotion within its ow.i jnrisdiotion, by allowing snoh acoounta to pc sent at oironlar rates— Jd each within town limits, and Id eaoh when sent to other parts fit tho colony. The rate* for intercolonial paropl post are to be lowered to 8d for tho first ponnd and (id for paoh additional ponnd. 1 hey are at present Is 2d for tho first 21b, and 7d for every pound additional Remitters of money by telegraphic order •re now charged a separate fee for each ord-ir. It is intended that in future one telegram will cover more than one money order when sent by ono person to the same addresses. Book-packet rates ate to be made ip'form throughout tho colonies— ld per 4b;. At present they are Id per every 2oz within the oolony, and Id per oz intercolonial ly. A number of propomls were adopted by other colonies, to whioh the New Zealand delegates did not ajjree. These wero mainly — 'f tat foroiga newspapers, whon roposted, should bo obarged Id oaoh for inland delivery — the New Z°aland rate is to remain at \l. That addresses and signatures of teleg'ams Bhonld ho oharged for— they are •till fa bo sent free up to 10 words. That wholb unpaid inland letters should be detainee by the Post Office and returned to the waters. — They are to be surcharged and pent tn as heretofore. That bank notes ahoalcbe allowed to he transmitted in open paokeb.— The New Zealand regulation reijniresthom to be enclosed in seiled covers, vo as o avoid undue temptation to the departnent's employes. Tha 1 ; unpaid inland paakets should bo detained. — They ire here surcharged and sent on. Tiat "collect" messages should bo ahoished. — The "colleot" system is fltronglyoppo3od by tho Australian departments, tot in Now Zealand it has always worked .dmirably. That the nnmber of words sett in preys' moosTi^es to any cowspaper durng the day be limited tost) words —there it now piaotioally no limit to tho extent to 'hioh evening newspapers may nee the press ode, Bubjeot to certain regulations as to ohar;cs. On the vhole, New Zealand scams to be far in adanoe of the other Australasian colonies inthe conveniences afforded to the pnblio by is telegraphio Bystem.