THE REPORT OF THE POSTAL COMMITTEE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1789, 11 September 1866, Page 3

THE REPORT OF THE POSTAL COMMITTEE.

(From the Wellington Independent, Sept. 8.) The report of the Postal Committee has been laid on the table of the House. It states with reference to the mail services that they have not been able to carry out their views in regard to reducing the expenditure. " It appears," says the report, "that at present, postal subsidies are granted—to the Panama line, the Suez line, to two Intercolonial lines, and six Interprovincial services. Any interference with the Panama line is not now possible, even if it were desirable, consistently with contract engagements. Neither is this committee prepared to recommend the discontinuance of the colony's contributions to the Suez line, nor of the two Intercolonial services which it necessarily entails. The committee have come to this conclusion on the ground that the time, at all events at present, has not arrived when it would be safe to trust altogether to the Panama service. Tliey strongly recommend, however, that negotiaiions should be pressed with the other Australian colonies to join New South Wales and New Zealand in defraying the cost of the Panama service, and that New South Wales and Victoria should be asked to contribute to the Intercolonial lines. "The committee do not consider that fewer interprovincial mail services than four, monthly are sufficient to satisfy the wants o," the colony; indeed they would have preferred a more frequent communication, but they are strongly of opinion that the additional expense should not be incurred." The immittee consider that the postal lervices to Taranaki and Hawke's Bay are excessive in cost and not altogether necessary. They think that the regular mail steamers should be made available for delivery of the mails in those provinces. The committee being unable to cut down the expenditure, are determined to increase the revenue at the expense of the newspapers. Consequently they recommend that the following charges should be made forthwith:1, That a postage should be paid on newspapers after the following rates : —On all newspapers posted within the colony for transmission via Panama or Marseilles, 3d each; on all other newspapers posted within the colony a charge of Id each, together with an approximate charge equal to the actual amount paid by the Government to any other Government, or to any company for their transmission.

2. That the following charges be _ made upon letters posted for delivery within the colony, viz.On letters posted at any postoffice for delivery by the same office, Id per half ounce; on letters posted within any province for delivery within the same, but not at the same office, 2d per half ounce; on letters posted within any province, for delivery beyond such province, but within the colony, 3d per half ounce; and so on in each instance proportionately, according to the present scale. 3. That, with the exception of correspondence on Imperial Government service, the system of franliing should be abolished; that all official letters should be pre-paid by postage stamps, and the amount of postage accruing carried to the credit of the postal revenue.

4. That the attention of the Government should be called to the necessity for a rigid economy in the service by a diminution where practicable in the postal establishments, and by a reduction in particular cases of the frequency of inland communication. The committee would further suggest tha the proposed alteration in the charges fot postage upon letters and newspapers sliou r be imposed by an Act of the Legislature. Careful inquiry and consideration of the evidence they hare been able to obtain, induce your committee to believe that the charges proposed by the committee will bring an additional revenue of about £15,000 per annum, and will not in any way prejudice the public interest. On the subject of the sale of postage stamps, we quote as follows from the report The Committee are of opinion that the sale of postage stamps br licensed vendors is of great convenience to the public and that such convenience is cheaply purchased by a commission of 2.} per cent, on the amount of such sale, which they accordingly recomendcd should be allowed : and they further snggtst that in all cases postmasters should hare authority to sell postage stamps, and be allowed an open account for the same with the Post-master-General under due securities.

In reference to the Panama contract the committee think that in referenci to clause eight of the contract that it should be made clear that the Postmaster-General should have the power of altering the port of krrival or departure in New Zealand, in the event of experience showing that such alterations would be of advantage to the colony at large. We have only this to say in reference to the foregoing proposals that the time Ims come for the press of New Zealand to organize and act,