POSTAL CONGRESS

Southland Times, Issue 19434, 24 December 1924, Page 5

POSTAL CONGRESS

RETURN OF MR MARKMAN. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, December 22. The Secretary of the Post and Telegraph Department (Mr A. T. Markman) returned by the Marama this morning, after eight months’ absence abroad. His principal mission was to act as New Zealand delegate at the World Postal Congress held some weeks ago at Stockholm (Sweden), an important convention at which all countries were represented. Its deliberations are expected to result greatly to the advantage of those countries which are distantly removed from the larger world centres, as the discussions enabled their delegates to gain first-hand information upon the most up-to-date methods in postal work. Interviewed on his arrival this morning, Mr Markman declined to comment on the conference proceedings, but expressed an interesting opinion upon the postal rates obtaining abroad and the possibility of reductions taking place. Although the institution of penny postage in Great Britain would mean a concession to the public of about £5,500,000 per annum, which was approximately the amount of profit derived by the British Post Office last year, he felt sure that the authorities in London would follow New Zealand’s example at a very early date. The Commonwealth Post-master-General had publicly announced that penny postage was impossible in Australia if the Post Office were to be self-supporting, but with the prospect of a record yield of produce this year, and in view of the splendid prices being obtained for wool and improvement in trade generally, it should not be surprising to find Australia following Great Britain with reduced rates. Continental countries were unable to revert to lower rates of postage, on account of the unsettled rate of exchange in Europe. In such circumstances it could hardly be expected that they would reduce the rates until the value of their currency improved. Mr Markham said he had been much impressed with the immensity of the post and telegraphic organisation in London, which he had been unable to appreciate formerly. The London telephone service, embracing between 200,000 and 300,000 subscribers ,was at present replacing manual exchanges, which had served their full term of usefulness, with automatic exchanges, but it was not expected that such a huge change of system could be completely brought about within the next 15 or 20 years.