IMPERIAL PENNY POST.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2078, 13 May 1907, Page 2

IMPERIAL PENNY POST.

Press Association—Copyright.

LONDON, May 9. At the Imperial Conference, at Sir Joseph Ward’s instance, it was resolved to view the social, political, material, and commercial advantages accruing from systems of international penny postage. The Conference

recommends on the -British Government the advisability, if and when suitable opportunity occurs, of approaching the Governments of other States belonging to the Postal Union m order to obtain a further reduc-

tion of postage rates, with a view to a more general, and, if possible, universal adoption of the penny rate. Sir Joseph Ward argued that the I’ost Office was not a taxing machine. .1 he Conference’s approval to universal penny postage would favorably influence other countries. It was absurd that a letter from New Zealand to England should be carried for one penny, while a letter across

tbe English Channel cost' 2J! ’New 75 ' Zealand’s and Canada’s experience showed that the loss was recouped within three years. ' ’ ■ ’ '

Mr. Buxton favored a universal pony postage, though he was unable

to say when England would bo able to give effect to it, as if it was put into oporation it would involve a reduction of revenue of £450,000. besides £190,000 per annum recently conceded. Sir Joseph Ward loured that some fine morning England would awake and find America and Fvanco, or America and (formally, had entered into a subsidiary agreement for penny postage. Ho urged Air. Buxton to Ik- ready for a reform which must come. Sir Joseph Ward's resolution re

universal penny post, was carried after discussion. He urged the British Postmaster-General to progress on wider lines. It was ridiculous that letters cost 2Jd across the Channel to France, a distance of 21 miles, while between Kngland and Now Zealand either way they cost only one penny.

Air. Buxton agreed with the resolution conditionally that gland should not; he pressed for tune to bring it into operation. His sympathies were with the proposal. Recent concessions in England cost £190,000, and universal penny post would mean a further reduction of £-150,000. He referred to the work of the postal congress at Rome in complimentary terms, and hoped Australia would come into lino with other portions of the Empire. Sir Joseph Ward replied that it was undesirable that the post office, should be regarded as a taxing machine. He was satisfied a recovery of the loss would occur, as had happened in Canada and New Zealand when both adopted penny postage.