PENNY POSTAGE.

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3184, 31 May 1932, Page 4

PENNY POSTAGE.

TiHE public will learn with satisfaction of the Government’s decision that from the beginning of June New Zealand will revert to the system of universal penny postage. The Postmas-ter-General states that it is in pursuance of its policy of reducing costs that the Government has come to this decision. It may be surmised, however.,. that the elpectations that were officially based upon the increase in postal rates, which came into operation on Ist March, 1931, have not been realised. It is certain that an immediate effect of the raising of the rates was a heavy curtailment of the volume of mail matter. Ae reversion to penny postage may not, therefore, prejudicially affect the departmental revenues to any material extent. It is to be apprehended that, if it would do so, the Government would, in view of existing conditions, have been tempted to adhere to the increased rates. That it can see its way clear to revert to the penny rate is a matter for congratulation. A policy of popularising the services is, generally speaking, one to which the community responds gladly, and the experience of the Government at the time when Sir Joseph Ward was a pioneer in the introduction of penny postage suggests that the public reaction to the reversion to that system to-morrow will be exprsesed in an appreciable increase in the volume of the mails.