PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 106

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

ROWLAND HILL AND PENNY POSTAGE. Last week I touched upon the general conditions existing before Rowland Hill commenced to agitate for cheap postage, and said I should write a little more today upon the great reform inaugurated by him. THE FRANKING SYSTEM. I made a brief allusion to this: here is an addition. One writer divided the population into two parts : the "Haves," who had franking privileges, and the "Have Nots," who had not. Of course, it was a great temptation to forge the signatures of M.P."s and others who had the franking privilege, and a clergyman, the Rev. Dr Dodd, was hanged at Tyburn in. 1771 for this offence —it must be remembered that in those days the death penalty was inflicted for over 100 offences, many of which we deem trifling. It goes without saying that the favoured few abused their privilege, not only by issuing franks to others, but in using the post to send free some curious postage matter —"ls couples of hounds, two maid servants, a cow, two bales of stockings, a deal case containing flitches of bacon, a huge feather bed, and other bulky products, animate and inanimate. 'The Ambassador's bag,' said Mr Roebuck one night in the House of Commons, 'was often unduly weighted. Goats, lace, boots, and other articles were sent in; even a pinafore and a horse.' " LETTERS, DOUBLE TO OCTUPLE AND MORE. The postage of a letter depended upon the number of sheets used, upon weight, and upon distance. In the pre-penny postage days, if a letter consisted of two sheets, it had to pay double postage! A single sheet the size of two pages of the Witness, or larger, provided it did not exceed the prescribed weight, was charged single postage, but if two small sheets were sent, even though each might not exceed a square inch or so, double postage was charged; consequently perhaps half a dozen letters might be written upon one sheet, posted, received by the addressee, and by him cut up and distributed. But how was it known whether two or more sheets were in the envelope—if one were used, generally it wasn't? By a process called "candling"—presumably holding it up before a strong light and fingering. I said an envelope wasn't used as a rule. Why? It collated as a sheet enclosing a second, so a letter so sent had to pay double. Again—it could be done, but seldom was—postage was not usually prepaid. Why? For one reason, the stamp would also count as a sheet, so a letter in a stamped envelope paid triple postage ! Have any of you seen letters written years .ago by your mothers and grandmothers, and noticed how, when, the pages were filled, "criss-cross" writing was indulged in? Sir Rowland Hill's daughter, in his biography, says that this is a reminder of the days when crosswriting was indulged in to avoid the use of a second sheet. Another interesting side-light: In Hill's biography we read:—"The neat and rapid folding of the-large sheets of paper on which single letters were written was regarded as one of the line arts; and lessons on it were sometimes given to boys at school. I have a distinct recollection"—it is Sir Rowland's daughter's words I am quoting—"of seeing a number of people seated round a table and practising letter-folding, and of my beingallowed to join the circle and try my diminutive 'prentice hand at the game. A dignified and elaborate process was the sealing of the folded letter, impressing much the juniors of the family, who looked on admiringly while the -head thereof performed the ceremony. . . . When one of the seals hanging to the broad silken strap showing below the paternal or grand-paternal waistcoat was pressed upon the bountifully-spread hot

i wax till a perfect impression was left, the letter thus completed would be held up for all to see." TAXES ON KNOWLEDGE. In 1834 Rowland Hill became a member of the association for the abolition of taxes on knowledge. At this time there was a duty of Is 6d on every advertisement, a paper duty of a lb, and a stamp duty on each paper-of 4d. Letter postage I have already referred to, but his fixed purpose was penny postage prepaid. Sydney Smith, whose wisdom was often equal to his wit, spoke of"this nonsense of a penny postage," and a prominent statesman said it would.be •a cheap means of spreading sedition! But it came. In 1839 penny postage was inaugurated, and the beneficent results silenced all croakers. Miss Martineau wrote of it as removing the barrier making the listening parent deaf and the fullhearted daughter dumb, as the most signal benefaction, of the time, and as Igiving to the poor what was previously the privilege of the rich. THE ADHESIVE STAMP. The introduction of this and of prepayment were strenuously resisted, and the stamps were facetiously called "Government sticking-plasters." Some frugal folk at first were canny in buying more than were wanted for immediate xiise. One said to a postmaster, "Is this new reform going to last?" "Certainly," was the. reply; "it is quite established." "Oh, well, then," sair 1 the man, "give me three stamps!" I should like to refer to a score of points suggested by reading Sir Rowland Hill's life, but I'll wind up with some SAMPLES OF POSTAL ADDRESSES, for they will provide a little light element to relieve what may appear dry to you. "To him who gave us the Penny Post" was the address on a letter of thanks coming from a distant colony; this and the one addressed "Rowland Hill—where he is?" were delivered without any brainracking. But what of "Mr Owl ONeill, General Post Office"? Only the blind man whose duty it is to decipher illegible and ill-spelt addresses could discern Mr Rowland Hill in such a disguise. "Unco" (Hongkong), "Ilawait" (Isle of Wight), "I Wicum" (High Wycombe), "Searhoo Skur" (Soho square), "Vallop a Razor" (Valparaiso) are gems; and "My Uncle Jon in London" and "Mr Michl Darcy in the town of England" are delightfully vague, though perhaps, the letter reached its destination—if there were pest office directories in those days—an improbable thing. The following two are unmistakably Hibernian. "Dennis Belcher, Mill street, Co. Cork, as you turn the corner to Tom Mantel's field, where Jack Gallavan's horse was drowned in the bqghols": and "Mr John Sullivan, North street, Boston. He's a man with a crutch, bedad. I think that'll find him." "Sir Rowland Hill: The Story of a Great Reform," wiitten by his daughter, and published at 3s 6d by T. Fisher Unwin, is my authority for a great deal of thft matter contained in these two Chats.