POSTAGE OF PAPERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 270, 14 October 1932, Page 2

POSTAGE OF PAPERS

An anomalous position concerning postage rates for newspapers was pointed out by Mr J. H. Stevens at the meeting of the council of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce last evening, when he moved the following resolution:—“That our honorary member the chief postmaster be asked to direct the attention of the Secretary of the General Post Office to the publio inconvenience arising from the weight of newspapers bearing id postage being fixed at three ounces. In view of the fact that even the local papers weigh from 3£ to 3J ounces, and that very few papers of three ounces or under ever have occasion to use the Post Office, this chamber invites th© secretary to consider the desirability of fixing the maximum id weight at four or six ounces. The anomaly of the present charges is made the more apparent by the fact that whilst papers weighing three ounces and under are charged a id, those of more than five times that weight are charged but Id.” The resolution was seconded by Mr Jas. Wallace and carried. Mr F .W. Furby (the chief postmaster at Palmerston North) said the matter was one of policy for the department. He pointed out that some 21,000,000 newspapers were posted annually in the Dominion, and if the concession was granted to only 2,000,000 of these it might mean the loss of £4OOO or £SOOO in revenue. The chairman (Mr A. J. Graham) said it was a testimony to public interest that such a volume of reading matter should be handled.