PENNY POSTAGE.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 79, 11 April 1901, Page 2

PENNY POSTAGE.

MARCH QUARTER £20,000 TO THE GOOD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. With reference to a cable message published this morning, the Hon. J. G. Ward says that he recognises that the unsettled state of politics in Australia puts a difficulty in the way of the admission of letters from New Zealand at the penny rate of postage. Ho is, however, very confident that the Commonwealth will soon see its way to meet New Zealand’s wishes in the matter. Mr Ward further says that tho postal revenue for the March quarter is £20,000 to the good.

UNIVERSAL PENNY POST. , Mr W. Gray, aeorotary to the Postal Department, has, in an official memorandum, published the following statement: —“ The foreign administrations of Chili, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Egypt, Italy, Mexico, Paraguay, Siam, and Switzerland have notified that they will accept our penny letters, although not at present prepared to reciprocate in the opposite direction. Germany has sent a lengthy letter giving reasons why neither of the Postmaster-General’s proposals can bo accepted at present. Many of the countries, it is noticed, desire that the question be held over until it can be discussed at the next Universal Postal Union Congress,which will be held at Rome in 1902. It might be well for the Postmaster-General' to now consider what steps should be taken to bring, the question .of the universal, perinypost before thepublie of the moreimportant countries of the Postal Union, and ascertain what the nature of our represen- ' tation at the congress is to be. The_ fact, that so many countries have encouraged .’ the movement so far by agreeing to accept our. letter, and that of hors have expressed' themselves in terms of sympathy with the , movement, shows that a strong' effort ' should be made in tho direction indicated. The congress of 1902 will be a particularly' favorable opportunity for testing the feeling of the world on the matter, and I am inclined to think a considerable measure of success may result from a judicious effort at that time. The fact that foreign countries such as Italy and Switzerland have agreed to deliver our penny matter ip connection with a scheme of universal penny postage is, I believe, unique in postal history, and if consistently followed up will place New Zealand in the position of being the first country in the world to successfully introduce a penny postage rate beyond the Empire—in other words, to successfully intrqducQ a universal penny post"