UNIVERSAL PENNY POSTAGE; ROME CONGRESS, 1906 (FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO). [In continuance of F.-7, presented on the 16th October, 1907.]

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1908 Session I, F-07

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1908. NEW ZEALAND.

UNIVERSAL PENNY POSTAGE; ROME CONGRESS, 1906 (FURTHER PAPERS RELATIVE TO). [In continuance of F.-7, presented on the 16th October, 1907.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

INDEX.

Penny Postage. nos. Pages Australia : Surcharge on letters from New Zealand prepaid Id. per oz 4, 8-12 4, 5, 6 British Colonies included in system .. • • • ■ • • • • • ■ ' ""*' United States : Introduction of penny postage with United Kingdom .. 5, 6, 13, 14, 16-20 4, 6, 7 Reductions in Postage. ..l 2 Postage reductions Proposed reduction on newspapers and periodicals between New Zealand and Great g Britain .. • • • • Postal Union Congress, Rome, 1906. Ratification of Convention by New Zealand Separate votes given to South African Colonies and New Zealand .. . • 21, 22

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No. 1. Reductions in Postage. [Extract from Financial Statement, 1907.] The marked success of the reductions in postage and telegram rates during the last few years warrants further concessions. I therefore propose to make the following reductions in rates': To reduce the postage on inland post-cards from Id. to id., thus bringing the post within the reach of the humblest member of the community. To reduce the fee for registered letters from 3d. to 2d. At present far too many letters with valuable enclosures are posted unregistered. To further reduce the inland-letter postage, making the rate Id. for the first 40z., and fd. for each 2 oz. thereafter, instead of Id. for each 4 oz. as at present. To reduce the postage on magazines to Id. per pound, instead of Id. for 8 oz. This concession, it is hoped, will be a great convenience to country residents. ********* The reduction of the post-card rate will be made a few days before Christmas, and the other concessions will come into force on the Ist Januarj' next. k*3333333333333»^kMMMß^^^Bßk»3«kMk4k»k333»«3^kkJlk3Bi

No. 2. The Hon. the Postmastbb-Gbnbral, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 15th August, 1907. I have the honour to refer to our interview, at which the reduction in the postage-rate on newspapers and periodicals between the United Kingdom and New Zealand was discussed. It was agreed that the matter should stand over for the time being. I now venture to express the hope that the result of your Department's experience of the reduced rate of Id. per pound on newspapers, magazines, and trade journals, forwarded by direct steamer from the United Kingdom to Canada, has been such as to warrant your deciding on the extension, from an early date, of a similar concession to New Zealand. This colony enjoys direct communication with Great Britain by means of the steamers of the New Zealand Shipping and the Shaw, Savill, and Albion Companies; and should you see your way to approve of the application of the cheap rate to newspapers, &c, addressed to New Zealand, it could be made a condition of their acceptance that they should be despatched by those steamers only, as is at present done with parcels. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. [P.O. 07/1433.]

No. 3. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, London, 21st September. ISD7. I am directed by the Postmaster-General to transmit to you for your information copies of the instructions which have just been issued to offices of exchange in this country making up mails for places in the Postal Union or receiving mails from such places. Copies of the documents referred to in the second paragraph of these instructions are already in your possession. I am to take this opportunity to enclose a list of the British colonies, &c, which have agreed to a rate of postage of Id. per ounce for letters passing between their offices and other offices included in the Imperial penny-postage system on and after the Ist October next. The Postmaster-General has not yet been informed of the decision arrived at by the Post Office of the Commonwealth of Australia;* but he has no reason to doubt that letters addressed to those territories from places included in the Imperial penny-postage system which are prepaid at the rate of Id. per ounce will be delivered without charge. It has been definitely ascertained that this course will be followed by the British colonies in South Africa although the rate for letters posted in those colonies will remain Id. per ounce.* I am to add that the Post Office of Egypt has accepted the rate of Id. per ounce for letters passing in either direction. . I have, &c, E. W. Farnall. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. * See following letter.'No. 4. [P.0.|07/2905.]

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Enclosure 1 in No. 3. Postal Union Convention of Rome.—Instructions for British Offices of Exchange making up Mails for Places in the Postal Union or receiving Mails from such Places. The Postal Union Convention concluded at Rome in May, 1906, will come into operation on the 1st October next, and will supersede the Convention signed at Washington in 1897. * * * * # * * # * Convention. — Article 5. On and after the 1st October next the postage to be prepaid on letters from the United Kingdom for all foreign countries (except Egypt) will be fyd. for the first ounce, and \\d. for each add.itional ounce. At the same time one ounce will be adopted as the unit of weight for letters sent under the Imperial penny-postage scheme to British colonies and jjossesstons generally and to Egypt, making the scale of postage Id. per ounce. Although under the new Postal Union Convention the unit of weight for letters is raised from 15 to 20 grammes (1 oz. for countries not using the decimal metric system), and the rate of postage is to be 25 centimes for the first unit and 15 centimes for every successive unit or fraction thereof, it is not obligatory for all countries to adopt the new unit and the rate of postage for letters posted in their services. A certain number of countries will retain the old rate of 25 centimes for every 15 grammes Foreign countries which will retain rates of letter-postage differing from the new Union rate referredUo above are as follow : —

The undermentioned British colonies maintain rates of postage differing from the Union standard on letters addressed to foreign countries : —

The undermentioned British colonies still retain the rate of Id. or 2d. per \ oz. as the rate for letters posted in their services and addressed to the United Kingdom, Egypt, or British colonies :— Colony. RateCape Colony . „ ... ... ... ••• •■■ Id. per | ounce. Orange River Colony Transvaal Australia j 2d. per \ ounce. Rhodesia I *********

Country, &c. First Rate. Subsequent Rates. Brazil Sea surtax Congo Free State Sea surtax Costa Rica ... Ecuador Sea surtax France French agencies in China French agencies in Morocco 200 reis for 15 grammes 100 reis per 25 centimes for 15 grammes ... 25 centimes p< 10 centimos for 15 grammes ... 5 centavos for 15 grammes ... 5 centavos pei 25 centimes for 15 grammes ... 10 cents for 15 grammes 25 centimos for 15grammes ... 25 lepta for 15 grammes 5 centavos for 15 grammes ... 25 paras for 15 grammes 10 centavos for 15 grammes ... 2 centavos pei 200 reis per 15 grammes. 15 grammes. 25 centimes per 15 grammes, ir 15 grammes. 10 centimos per 15 grammes. 5 centavos per 15 grammes. 1 15 grammes. 15 centimes per 15 grammes. 6 cents per 15 grammes. 15 centimos per 15 grammes. 25 lepta per 15 grammes. 5 centavos per 15 grammes. 25 paras per 15 grammes. 10 centavos per 15 grammes. ■ 15 grammes. 13 chahis per 15 grammes. 10 kopeks per 15 grammes. 10 cents per 15 grammes. 9 atts per 15 grammes. Greece Hayti Montenegro ... Peru Surtax by Panama route Persia Russia Russian agencies in China Siam 13 chahis for 15 grammes 10 kopeks for 15 grammes ... 10 cents for 15 grammes 9 atts for 15 grammes

Colony. First Rate. Subsequent Rates. Australia Bechuanaland Protectorate Cape Colony Natal Orange River Colony Rhodesia (Southern) Transvaal Cyprus ... 2£d. per £ ounce. for £d. ounce ... per J ounce. 2|d. for 1 ounce ... ljd. per 1 ounce. 80 paras for \ ounce ... 80 paras per \ ounce.

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Final Protocol. — Article 111. Administrations which find themselves unable to adopt forthwith the new scale of letter-postage fixed by Art. 5 of the Convention are permitted to postpone the change of unit-weight or postagecharge, or both, so far as letters posted in their countries are concerned. Such offices will, however, be required to deliver without charge letters posted in other countries which are fully paid at the new rate. ********* General Post Office, London, 11th September, 19U7.

Enclosure 2 in No. 3. List of British Possessions, Colonies, and Protectorates included in the Imperial Pennypostage System which have agreed to the Rate of Id. per ounce for Letters passing between their Offices and other Places included in the System. Antigua, Fanning Island, Nigeria (Northern and SouthAscension, Fiji, crn), Bahamas, Gambia, St. Helena, Barbados, Gibraltar, St. Kitts, Bermuda, Gold Coast, St. Lucia, British Central Africa, . Grenada, St. Vincent, British East Africa and Uganda, Hong Kong, Sarawak, British Guiana, India (including Aden), Seychelles, British Honduras, Jamaica, Sierra Leone, British North Borneo, Labuan, Straits Settlements, British Somaliland, Malay States (Federated), Tobago, Canada, Malta, Tortola, Cayman Islands, Mauritius, Trinidad, Ceylon, Montserrat, Tristan da Cunha, Cyprus, Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands, Dominica, Newfoundland, Zanzibar. Falkland Islands, New Zealand (with Cook Islands),

No. 4. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. S IR; General Post Office, London, 27th September, 1907. Referring to the letter addressed to you from this office on the 21st instant, concerning the new unit of weight to be fixed for letters passing under the Imperial penny-postage system, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to inform you that the Post Office of the Commonwealth of Australia has now decided to deliver without charge letters sent from places included in the Imperial penny-postage scheme, and prepaid at the rate of Id. per ounce. In my letter above referred to, the rate on letters from South African Colonies should be read as Id. per half-ounce. I have, &c, E. W. Farnall. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [P.O. 07/2905.]

No. 5. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington. (Telegram.) Wellington, 12th October, 1907. Press telegrams report that you negotiating with Britain to introduce penny post. Hope New Zealand will be one of first countries to which United States letters may be sent at reduced rate. [P.O. 07/1692(3).]

No. 6. The Hou. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington. g lß) __ General Post Office, Wellington, 22ud October, 1907. I have the honour to confirm my cable message of the 12th instant. I now enclose a copy of the newspaper-paragraph on which my telegram was founded. I need hardly say that I look forward with the greatest possible interest to the development of the proposals here reported. I confidently surmise that New Zealand's attitude towards the scheme of

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cheapened international postage, and the proofs she has given of her faith in the beneficence of that scheme, will secure for her a prominent place in. any proposals you may make for extending its operations on your part. 1 have, &c, J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington, D.C. P.O. 07/1692(3).]

i Enclosure in|No. 6. [News Extract, 3rd October, 1907.J (Cablegram.) New York, 2nd October, 1907. The United States Government is negotiating with Great Britain to charge a penny per ounce for letters. If successful, it will try the same plan with other countries which have direct steamship communication with the United States.

No. 7. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — , General Post Office, London, 28th October, 1907. 1 am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th August last, in which you express the hope that the rate of postage on newspapers and periodicals sent from the United Kingdom to the Dominion of New Zealand by direct steamers may be reduced to Id. per pound, as was done in the case of newspapers, &c, sent from the United Kingdom to Canada. In reply, I am to inform you that, as Mr. Buxton has more than once publicly stated, the reduction referred to was based on the very special and peculiar position, geographical and otherwise, occupied by Canada, as the result of which British newspapers, magazines, &c, were unable to obtain a footing in Canada, their place being taken by American publications. There do not appear to the Postmaster-General to be similar circumstances in the case of New Zealand, which is thus differentiated entirely from that of Canada. Mr. Buxton regrets, therefore, that he would not feel justified in recommending His Majesty's Government to meet your wishes by an extension of the special arrangement to which you refer. 1 have, &c, H. Babington Smith. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [P.O. 07/1433.J

No. 8. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. (Telegram.) Wellington, 31st October, 1907. Your Melbourne office apparently taxing letters already prepaid here penny ounce. No doubt misunderstanding. Kindly arrange. [P.O. 07/2905.]

No. 9. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, Ist November, 1907. Your cablegram yesterday : No request received from your Administration to accept ounce letters prepaid at penny. [P.O. 07/2905.]

No. 10. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. (Telegram.) Wellington, Bth November, 1907. Ounce minimum from first October was assumed in absence of any announcement that British Government proposals of twenty-third November, 1906 [No. 14, F.-7, 1907.], not accepted by any participant in penny-postage arrangement. London Post Office letter of twenty-first September [No. 3] assumes no objection raised in Commonwealth. Obliged if you will accept our letters. [P.O. 07/2905.]

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No. 11. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. General Post Office, Wellington, 13th November, 1907. Sir, — Letter-postage. 1 have the honour to confirm my cablegrams to you of the 31st ultimo and Bth instant, and to acknowledge the receipt of your reply of the Ist instant. I beg to refer you to Article 5, paragraph 1, (1), of the Postal Union Convention of Rome, fixing the minimum weight at 20 grammes. One ounce was accepted by the Congress as the equivalent of 20 grammes. Further, in the report, dated the 20th October, 1 90G [not printed], of the British delegates to the Rome Congress, it was stated that the British Government would propose to the colonies that, when the Postal Union Convention came into operation, this unit of weight (1 oz.) should be applied also to the Imperial penny-postage system. This proposal was actually made in a letter, dated the 23rd November last [No. 14, F.-7, 1907], from the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor of this Dominion. It is assumed that a similar representation was made at the same time to your Government ; and, in the circumstances, it was not con sidered necessary to do more than to apply the provisions of the Convention. 1 attach a copy of the letter I refer to. I also attach a copy of the letter of the 21st September last [No. 3] to which my last telegram refers. And since telegraphing, the further letter [No. 4] (copy also enclosed) of the 27th September last has been received from London announcing the agreement of your Department to deliver without charge letters sent from places included in the Imperial penny-postage scheme, and prepaid at the rate of Id. per ounce. A copy of Parliamentary Paper F.-7 was sent to your office on the 28th ultimo. The new rate of postage was introduced in New Zealand on the Ist ultimo. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. P.O. 07/2905.j

Enclosure in No. 11. Extract from the Postal Union Convention of Rome (26th May, 1906). Article 5. — Rates of Postage and General Conditions. 1. The rates of postage for the conveyance of postal articles throughout the entire extent of the Union, including their delivery at the residence of the addressees in the countries of the Union where a delivery is or shall be organized, are fixed as follows : — 1° For letters, 25 centimes in case of prepayment, and double that amount in the contrary case, for each letter not exceeding 20 grammes in weight; and 15 centimes in case of prepayment, and double that amount in the contrary case, for every weight of 20 grammes or fraction of 20 grammes above the initial weight of 20 grammes.

No. 12. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 16th November, 1907. Instructions issued for acceptance letters from New Zealand prepaid penny per ounce. [Acknowledged, 21st November, 1907]. [P.O. 07/2905.]

No. 13. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Office of the Postmaster-General, Washington, 6th January, 1908. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd October last, confirming your cable message of the 12th of the same month, and enclosing the newspaper-clipping on which your telegram was founded, which stated that I was negotiating with Great Britain to introduce penny post. Nothing definite in regard to the matter has yet been accomplished. Yours, &c, G. v. L. Meyer, Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. P.O. 08/1070(3).]

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No. 14. [News Extract, 19th March, 1908.] The Penny Post between Britain and the United States. London, 17th March, 1908. The Daily Express states that the Budget will provide for penny postage between Great Britain and the United States. [P.O. 08/1070.1

No. 15. The Right Hon. the Secretary op State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor. My Lord,— Downing Street, 10th April, 1908. With reference to my circular despatch of the 23rd November, 1906 [No. 14, F.-7, 1906], I have the honour to request you to inform your Ministers that all parts of the Empire have nowdecided to adopt the increased unit of weight under the recent Convention of Rome for letterpostage, with the exception of the Commonwealth of Australia and the several South African Governments. These Governments will, however, accept as fully prepaid at Id. the ounce all letters received from other parts of the Empire. 2. I take this opportunity of informing you that the Bechuanaland Protectorate has decided to adopt the Imperial penny-postage system from the Ist instant. I have, &c, Governor the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., <Vc. Elgin. [P.O. 08/1621(2).!

No. 16. [News Extract, sth June, 1908.] Penny Postage. (Telegram.) London, 4th June, 1908. In the House of Commons the Postmaster-General (Mr. Buxton) was cheered on announcing that America had agreed to his proposal for Anglo-American penny postage, to operate from the Ist October. [H. I. Bk.|

No. 17. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, London. (Telegram.) Wellington, sth June, 1908. Hearty congratulations agreement with America. Would like to shake hands with you. It is certain indication of the world coming into penny-postage line. [I.O. (18/1021 (3).]

No. 18. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington. (Telegram.) Wellington, sth June, 1908. Heartily congratulate you upon establishment of penny postage between your country and the United Kingdom. [P.O. 08/1621(3).]

No. 19. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, London, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington (Telegram.) London, 6th June, 1908. Much gratified by your telegram, for which many thanks. The announcement given great satisfaction. [P.O. 08/1621(3).]

No. 20. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. (Telegram.) Washington, D.C., 7th June, 1908. Thanks for congratulations. [P.O. 08/1621(3).]

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No. 21. The Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor, Wellington. My Lord, Downing Street, 12th September, 1906. With reference to your telegram of the 21st February last [not printed], I have the honour to inform you, as your Ministers probcably have already learnt through the representative of New Zealand at the recent Postal Union Congress at Rome, that the Congress agreed by twentytwo votes to twenty that a separate vote in the affairs of the Postal Union should henceforth be assigned to the South African Colonies. This action of the Congress released the vote allotted by Article 27 of the Convention of Washington to the British colonies outside Australasia, which had recently been assigned to the South African Colonies, and that vote has now been assigned in the final protocol of the Rome Convention to New Zealand and its dependencies. I htrve requested the Postmaster-General to convey to the British delegates to the Congress an expression of my thanks for their efforts in securing this additional vote for the Empire. I have, &c, Governor the Right Hon. Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., X.C.V.0., &c. Elgin. P.O. 06/1031(16).]

No. 22. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir,— Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 26th November, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 14th September last [not printed], forwarding copy of despatch addressed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor, notifying that at the Postal Union Congress recently held at Rome, New Zealand had been granted a separate vote in the affairs of the Union. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, Prime Minister. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand, London. P.O. 06/1031(15).!

No. 23. The Hon. the Prime Minister to His Excellency the Governor. ■Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 13th August, 1907. The Prime Minister sends his respectful compliments to His Excellency the Governor, and begs to recommend that His Excellency move the Secretary of State for the Colonies to inform the Italian Government, through the usual channel, that New Zealand desires to ratify the action taken by its representative, the Right Hon. Sir Joseph George Ward, in authorising the signing on his behalf by the Hon. Austin Chapman, Postmaster-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, of the Convention of Rome (Universal Postal Union), together with the detailed regulations for its execution, on the 26th May, 1906. J. G. Ward. [P.O. 07/236(9).]

No. 24. Whereas a Convention of the Universal Postal Unioo was concluded and signed at Rome on the twenty-sixth day of May, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and six, superseding the Convention signed at Washington on the fifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven : And whereas the Convention concluded at Rome is word for word as follows in the paper attached hereto marked " A " [copy of the Convention] : And whereas a Final Protocol was likewise signed at Rome on the same day by the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments above mentioned, which protocol is word for word as follows in the paper attaohed hereto marked " B " [copy of the protocol] : Now, we, the Right Honourable William Lee, Baron Plunket, the Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, in virtue of the power which has been intrusted to us, do declare by these presents that we approve and confirm the foregoing Convention and Final Protocol, together with the Detailed Regulations made thereunder, which Detailed Regulations are word for word as follows in the paper attached hereto marked " C " [copy of the Detailed Regulations]. In witness thereof we have signed these presents, which we have sealed with our seal of office. Done in Wellington, the twenty-second day of August, one thousand nine hundred and e j„ nt Plunket. Governor. P.O. 08/79(2).] Approximate Cost of Paper.— Preparation, not given j printing (1,600 copies), £6 3s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.—l9oB. Price fid A