NEW YEAR AND PENNY POST.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 9035, 2 January 1901, Page 2

NEW YEAR AND PENNY POST.

HONOR TO MR WARD. THE HOLIDAYS ELSEWHERE. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, yesterday. The New Year, being the dawn of ( jthe new century, was ushered in with ; greater enthusiasm than usual. A dense ' crowd packed the streets until an early! hour, chiefly attracted by the brilliant j illuminations at the Post Office, to cele- ! brate the inauguration of universal penny j postage. At 12.30 the Executive met and - approved of regulations connected -with penny postage and other postal and telegraphic reforms which come into operation to-day. Opportunity was taken by the postal and telegraphic^ officials throughout the colony to present Mr Ward with a gold medallion and address as a souvenir of the inauguration of universal penny postage in New Zealand. The medallion took the shape of a shield, having on its obverse side a representation of the new penny stamp. . On a scroll above is the inscription, "1901, a new era." The address expressed the esteem in which the Postmaster-General is held by the officers in the department. The cost was defrayed by penny subscriptions. Mr Ward, replying, said the occasion upon which they were met would be recorded in history as a memorable ono, and the souvenir with which he had been presented would identify him as the Postmaster-General of the colony aKone of the most important epochs in its history. Since he was Postmaster-General in 1891 he had worked incessantly for penny postage, and its inauguration today, was the fulfilment of one of his first political ambitions. The reform meant a direct loss of £80,000, but he gave it forth as his opinion that the concession would be fully recouped in a lew years. : Even Arere it not so, the greatly increased convenience which the users of the Postal Department would enjoy would en-! tirely outweigh any temporary financial; loss; Though the Mother Country was before them in respect to penny postage, ' New Zealand was the first country iii tbe world that at one stroge inaugurated uni- • versal penny postage.- He regretted that ' the representations to Australia to allow the New Zealand penny postage system] to extend to their country had not so far been successful. He had received the following cable from the Hon. Mr, Barton, Sydney : "No Federal PostmasterGeneral for some time yet. Your pre? sent proposal is therefore solely for the separate States." Mr Crick, PostmasterGeneral of Sydney, cabled: "Regret cannot disturb the previous decision, but in the event of any letters having been posted in New Zealand in expectation of taming through for a penny, these will ; be delivered. You *wiU therefore notify vour public that postage to Australia will be twopence. We have informed the I other colonies in the foregoing, terms, but i all those Administrations heard from so for are in favor of the Conference recommendation being adopted." Mr Ward, j , continuing, said he. had every hope that the public-spiritedness of the new Fed- ■ eral Government of Australia would in time prompt them to comply with thV ; New Zealand representations. | Mr Ward sent the following cable at midnight on New Year's 'Eve to the Governor-General of Australia: "AU good wishes for a happy . and prosperous 1 New Year. May the new century see ' the complete cementing of the Empire, and its continued expansion in the interest of national progress, liberty, equality,., and commerce. Not the least important event of the new centuiy will be] New Zealand's intention to introduce universal penny postage. The inclusion ot Federated Australia would complete the extension of this reform to all important parts of the" Empire, and I look forward with unfeigned satisfaction to the probable adoption of the penny post by Aus- ; tralia.— Ward." The weather was fine to-day, but very windy. There were no attractions in town, but a large number of people went to various picnics by rail and steamer. CHRISTCHURCH, yesterday. The weather was beautiful here for the holiday to-day, and all places of amusement were thronged. About twenty thousand persons went to Lytelton for the , regatta, and crowds travelled to other seaside resorts. There was considerable j competition in Christchurch for the honor of sending from the city the first letter bearing the universal penny stomp. At a quarter of an hour after the opening of the doors several thousands had been sold i and by half-past nine the whole supply of seven thousand two hundred had been exhausted, and large croAvds were turned away from the Post Office doors. y NEW PLYMOUTH, yesterday. | * The weather was splendid for the holiday, and a monster seaside pichic attracted a large number of visitors from i the country districts. About six thousand were present, and the' sand-building i competition was greatly enjoyed by the ljuveniles. A short sea trip by the Mapourika was largely patronised. | The annual Fire Brigade Competition was held, and good work was put in by the team selected to compete at Christ- :' church in March. I NELSON, yesterday. , ' The holidays passed off pleasantly *withi iout accident. The athletic sports in town were well attended. McCable won^ the five miles and Nelson Wheel Race, L .io'f. two miles, both from scratch. Nat-. i trass, of Wellington,' won the Mile I (Cycle Cash, and was second in the Nel- , son Wheel Race. Grove, of Wellington, was second in the Five Miles Cycle. The r-Motueka Valley races were', well atr.j tended. . .