The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1901. THE PENNY POST.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 8, 10 January 1901, Page 2

The Daily News. THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1901. THE PENNY POST.

In consectigx witj) tho establishment 1 of the penny post in IjTow Zealand, which came into operation on the Ist January, it is interesting to°neto that' it is just 60 years ago to-day sicc a Mr. J Rowland Hill, afterwards Sir Rowland t Hill, establiahad the panny post at Home. If time and space would j permit, the history of the growth and i progress of the great postal success of the British Empire would make very I interesting folding. In all times and £ all ages some public or private system ® of postal service has been in vogue, and j it is very interesting to note t&at the ] more civilised a community the more 3 complete the postal system aid the less 4 it was left to private mfcerpuse, M early as Edward the 111., in England '■ traces of a postal system are found in j the statutes. Edward IV. established , post-houses at intervals of 20 mile?, ] and during the war with Scel'land a 1 military postal system (.eicboJ great j perfection. Until 1635, botfr publics j and private post systems existed, in that year all private posts were ( abolished and a new and good system i established, the income of the postal < service being claimed by the King, j From that out, the postal system became the Royal wail. As early as , 1683 a penny postal system was ( j adopted, although the value of the ] penny was then much higher than f now, and the system was very re- 1 strioted. Fresh regulations and modifications were continually being intro- j duced until the system, complete an3_ i efftstivo with which we are family came into operation, For this Ve , are indebted chiofly to ihe : sagacity and untirirg labours of/sir ; llowland Hill. The first indication of that gentleman's idoqfe on the ■ subject were o .'tjjSTnixr** in a pamphlot him in 1887. He shpwpd that the post offico ,j|S-B?tem was costly a»d jneffici'mt. His reasoning and tbe facts adduced in support were sufficient to con vices the thinking portion of tbe British public. He attacked the abuso of the franking system and the absurdity of some of the charges on private letters. He pointed out that the average cost of each letter for all distances was <s|d. Tbe post office charges were regulated by a carious tiritf, by which a single sheet was sent 15 miles and under for 4d, and so en up to 230 to 300 miles . for Is, and an additional Id for every I 100 miles or a portion thereof. The ' smallest sheet if cut in two was charged double, also the enclosure of a note or I bill, or even one's address, if separate ; s in short, anything, however small, made the letter containing it double. ® Much keen investigation cf suspected " letters took place in a room sot apart for that business, where the work was - earned on by gas light, .daylight beiDg excluded. After nearly 3 years persistent eti'oit, S r Rowland J Hill baxl the satisfaction of getting his .j magnificent plan, tlis.t a uniform rate

of one penny postage bo ohargadvoa all inland letters not Exceeding woigbt, adopted. On the &r y i 1840, the uniform rate-of lcfcper |oz letters came into operation, All sorts of dismal consequences wem predicted as the result of fchiJa step, but tbo result the most sanguine expectations, ;,;ap4 it is now generally admitted that .the introduction xrf".tteyw«n»y 'post has proved tba greatest bgon to the people. The history of Zealand, i» doubtless familar to every oiie. The late John Ballauce announced ith'e penny post as one of the planks of the Liberal platform, and the accession to office ef the Hen. J. G. Ward, was signalised by the passing of an act it permissive for the Government to introduce it when they thought it adviuajjle.v ( \ Until now 'the fear of a temporary -loss of revenue has caußed the GoyerntrflMfc to, pause, but the! buoyant' finance ofjthtf last five yews, has at list enabled "Mr. Ward to give effect tp bislwg promised reform, The

quarter iy returns allowing tljia efrVct of j the new system, will be eagejrly looks i for by all who tave the gl)od of the! colony at heart, and we feel Anre ovary j one will join with us in holping that Mr. Ward will be ablo to report the rtsult i»s satisfactory; It is vttry fitting that Mr. Ward, who started ia lifo »!■ an employee of the T'ostad D:jpartu>ont sbould givo this great rbpan to tke peoplo of New Zealand, and wo heartily congratulate him on his spccess.