POSTAL RATES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20179, 6 March 1931, Page 11

POSTAL RATES.

NOVEL MODIFICATION SUGGESTED. DELIVERY FROM OFFICE OF POSTING, CHAMBER OP COMMERCE DISCUSSION. Adopting the-reeommc»datip?» of its Postal Committee, thq Council pf the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce decided last evening to urge the Post-master-General (the Jlon. «T. B. Danald) to authorise a special rate for letters delivered from the office flf posting of id for the first two ounces of secondclaps matter (invoices, notices, etc.) and Id an ounce for #rst-clas9 matter. There was somo discussion-on the new postal rates, and tho Chamber its - sympathy with the Government's efforts to increase revenue jji difficult times, Several members representing largo business firms mentioned that they were adopting other methods of delivery, The chairman of tho Postal Committee (Mr T. N. Gibhs) reported that in considering the recent revision of postal charges it had taken into account the necessity jof collecting extra revenue this year; the fact,that the past "history of the Post find Telegraph Department indicated that higher rates of postage seldom operated for long periods; and that competition 'existed in the carrying of parcels between the Railway and Postal Departments,

Bevanue Below Anticipation. "The committee is nevertheless of the opinion," continued Mr Gibbs, "that in sqvcral directions the increases proposed will fqree economies on the business community which >viU reduce the anticipated, extra revenue. Tq xninimisq this reduction to some extent, put} also' tp avoid loss of revenue to the Department from pprreppqndenco fqr local deliveries —which loss mw o:jlget some pf the gains elsewhere—the committee recommends the Council tp nrgo tfco Pqstjnaster-Genprnl to authorise a special rp.to |pf letters to be 4 e Uvored from the office of posting, namely:— •Tor second-class. matter (ftypices, notices, etc.) a rate of for tfcq first two ounce?. "Fpr fijst-class matter a rate pf Id an qunce.

"So fur as revision? sffecting-new papers are concerned the Qpmwittop understands tbpt this matter hns jtlrendy been taken up by tfte Newspaper Pro* prjotprs' 4§«Qeia,tian. "In regard to the carnage of parcels, there wejo certain pases wfcerp thp>De- •> partnjcut wp previously in pomppti|ion with the EaUway Department, and the committee th§t the present situatiqn may lip met with proper coordination between tbpse two Department* and tj»e provision by the Railway Department of spch actional facilities as nji»y be'.neee s| W to, thp fafttqnr hpSling, pf Bfwwli!! Mrato^^ l?y the 3Post f&d TOrtfnent" '• '• * 2k£r GiPs that %> committee had been «ippqp t? f)Wf ' Sown my wggpstiftti? wliicji wO3. ; the its • Uvy q? \d Sfwgpap^, Showing that the higher,-rate§ ppldom. pper&t«4 for Jong ft' brief history of tho nnctwptipns p BPirt-, age rates WPP, the to#ji.WWi - <#«" mentioned his opinion jhat the prpposssj adopted in W5 flf id tovy\w:fiv.«ry; packet sent by mail exceptnewfjp&jtprs won hpye ljeea brpngbt to meet the present situation. . ■ :- over the period under yoljpne of business in pwwto bf4 ?eptaiued yery. steady. It therefore seemed, v tq\;she. committer mjiPWfelp'ttat'tfeft' pov'ern--ment shoqld haye taken tJiq . B tßPs ■«' bad done, -partem l *. tftoge , reducing the maximum weight of parcels jFhich might be takenby pp»t, in view of $e oilier Goypfnment popartmfuits were available" for this purpoie. . #is #gn*w e*hpwp4 that' mftrkf»ble increase bad bpen in the posit-, ages under the inland PJMsHfit 53*9 pf idr D»r»*g tfce. EPtyput tfeese increased by. 170 per cent., pfo«win£ t« what »'great syte«t %0. commercial houses were using the Posfc oscp f;Q se|)d't|»Pir iflvqippp, advertifiHg' maftp?, and notices generally. Therp Tyss no 40nt»t that business houses Jiß<i thflmseiyei? widely <$ tb.o id rate» »n4 that, how the .rate was P9?tygo§. ifjßHld ; bp; m§4f> -/ 9»<l. «ths? methods of delivery used. , , ' , The Inland Packet Bate. The old for' peeojid-0las» matter wq* M for eyoiiy two onnegs np to lib. The Department was now .asking Id fro tj»o first fonr qnn<ic?i thereafter • the" former rate. It thug ap extra id only on' the two ounces, showing it. realised 'how profitjiblo was thM source, of income. Hit would bo wo*t desirable .'and ipost satisfactory to us if w© could rpturp to tha old rate,'' said &r Gibfis. He pug- ' gested that the data wfyicn the committee iia§ cpllgetftg 1)0 to %. tit CQmm^ce. 4s for the increases in telegraphic he cfthslderpd' it doflbtfal "whetj»gr tl}fi Department would get typ revenue which it "There, wps an S[r|;ic]e Jn Thb to-day, hpw m?sllinery string idle,' 1 «aid Mr Gibbs. "If trnfflf were lisptl, fpr porfl wqj]ld bp by regtrictjfig it's me and ineteaping rates fop the public." 'Mr A. Q. Wijlcifigon, yrhfi sepon4p,4 the adoption of the tepqut,, g'^d. tenths amount of- matter being by Mn<l during the l§st fpw %yss y?m}& haye heen vpry 3ppa|ent in a}l offices. A vote of tlmnksi was paqspd to thg Postmaster (Mi? U. J. fpr |ljg informatiqn wjjieh he hfid placed at the committee 1 ?' diSBPBnl r Sconomips of Business Firms. Mr W>vant qdium to bq placed on tlje Dp 7 partment of the increased rftes« i ''Wo know t]?at the Office is a I very. e%ieijt qnq of the, most efficient in the country, and it |a find' |p thp Dqst Qflice for tiiesje Eq.yipg said this, I -enn sny wo g|l try to dqdge' tjic increases as bihcJi as we cq,Ti. Thpy woijljj cp§t my company an ojftra a yen?'. Not only this—the companies tax i?. being rnispfl.and all other qro being jwp4» What we put into one packet by on* economic gopg opt of thp pthpr, Every ypiyj we so the - SQ.QftQ pgfaJpgnes. Whore formerly to psy- s |d pogtnge, WO 4o>v yay Sd-'' Perpf doiiypfy. It wil| bp the same with 1 l«ttaxß «a 4 iavaioes. ge& &%,

and message boy* tql4alimf ftp extra'fereatfon does' #os-.^aj|£.« but.tJie Jaet ftip % prefect-j3w PWS.J* * '^f^W> M* tip Mwk|£!R ' gqt forwatolj. Aur'QWp MsP#^^.#W : add**.,, "tfy fmfr m? *»#; - user* of the U&fcceJ tpst lfl#$£B«l«S9» ■ Wa are nqw< faojs .with sfc| 3&tijjpl. where) 'a' packet ftomrfr °3fa~M--wn!*li Wrj - 1 viously 'cost, 4s Sd, and #»• Mpft'to, that wo tta-nsportafcioa. ? :fttn^iate]y;>ftef; $# ctwql4T?">dYertißlaß I'M Per payment., .^JS^iTO^tef*,' S|r jft W.' #gi&a satt tijaf;;w|ttassi GoTcrnmeat in need # g^ttM, evening wirt to -Agrafe, 1% %?«*««. in .taction,,. « l ttnj..oTjfcfiiit WW. tas anil $&. BfiSWrt M»P*a?Sl?t.' *W other means had % <?Rfl>ng * tha".fpt;pl, wfy ' Ifhay were »np ag*ings Cfaj* tamp duties w weptsift *«,; J>a|i»g-?wM creased. He suggested"that look at j*,o qpostion. Jsjwftg&) broader h e' Jfi*, necessities demanded M<wmw& While they a'dmired ftfe its attempt 'the finance*, 'dp 'Sgas!:.-to/ criticise, * ">-v , '.*/','■'' ..,;,' . The presidflßf (Afr ffi &>& tTvqpgl' urged that every, member-.of -the mijtee Jppfc|l}q The repqrt emphatically fii&JiOt Qqtfc cise the Government's effort, revenue. " .' . > - i '* . .i' mittee crnment's "prepoHßfl would not bri»£~iii t . ' tftp JPY-Pfiflp ;pgp'(fJfid, and £a'd '"made a '^ttgtarprgjKtsaj. **lq previous slumps businesses yeyfc not fighting for thpi? very existence' as t-fcpy said Mr Carpy, *f We W*- Gftps: IflrtheE' lipid o« (snqpiry patform basis' of' e&ftrgpfi PH »hips, aud this i?«S Pfi|ejT«d to fthetpraflSßflrr f3omttu|Ti Ifee with the chairmen oE pie Setai|er>s'and Bostat , - ,\ ,■ ■■»> ll.P—m'i - 1