INLAND PENNY POSTAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2363, 8 June 1899, Page 19

INLAND PENNY POSTAGE.

When Mr Seddon stated at' Auckland that an Inland Postage Bill was to be introduced at the forthcoming session of Parliament he must have forgotten that a Post Office Acts Amemtrnent Act was passed in 1891, providing that on every letter posted at any post oOlue within the colony for delivery ab or from such post offloe, or any other post oifice within the colony, the rate of postage shall be, not exceeding loz, Id, and newspapers to the Australasian colonies one halfpenny. The history of the passage of this bill is, shortly, that Mr Ward, who was Post-master-General in the Ballance Ministry, >vas very anxious to have such a provision made for penny postage. Mr Ballance strongly opposed the suggestion, saying that he was Colonial Treasurer, and could not in the state of the clony's finances assent to a loss of £70,000 a year, which he estimated such an innovation would entail. Mr Ward was very insistent, however, and the friction which arose between the two on the subject was so great as to lead the then Postmaster-general to threaten to resign from the Ministry. The result ultimately was that the Post Offices Acts Amendment Bill was placed on the Statute Book. The measure provided not only for inland penny postage and halfpenny postage to Australia, but also enacted that the Governor-in-Council should regulate the amounts to be paid for the carriage of book packets, books, circul.irs, and other articles. With a de&ire, probably, that a compromise should be arm rod at which would put off the evil day, but at the same time give Mr Ward cred't for the institution of the reform, the act w:<rf made so as to come into force upon such a -day as the Governor-in-Cc-uncil ma/ think fit ; so that Mr Seddon has, presumably without knowing it, had power to bring inland penny postage into operation over since he has been in power.