THE POSTAL SERVICE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 402, 13 August 1866, Page 1

THE POSTAL SERVICE.

(From the Hawke’s Bay Times, 30th July.)

Recently we informed our readers that we were in possession of the seventh report of the Postal Service of the Colony, by the Hon. the Postmaster-General. The report contains much information that is valuable and important in relation to the service ; and we purpose culling a few of the most interesting items for the information of our readers. We have in a tabular form a comparative statement of the number of letters and newspapers received at and despatched from the various post offices in the Colony during the years 1864 and 1805. la 1864, the letters despatched were 2,120.149 ; in 1885, there were 2,235,188 ; being 5’39 per cent, increase. In 1804, the letters received were 2,112,771; in 1865, 2,208,285; being 4*52 per cent, increase. In 1804, the newspapers despatched were 2,540,846 ; in 1805, 2,397,409 ; being 6*23 per cent, decrease. In 1864, the newspapers received were 1,781,482; in 1865, 1,809,583; being T 57 per cent, increase. The most noticeable feature in the above is the rather singular fact of a decrease of about 6J per cent on the number of newspapers despatched from the Colony, and which we do not doubt was in a great measure owing to the existence of the penny stamp regulation, although it was, only in operation some six or seven weeks. This leads us to note what is said in this report in relation to the above subject—the postal tax upon newspapers; —and from which we gather the manifest intention of the Government to re-impose the burden. We might have thought that the decided disapprobation expressed by the Colony at the action of the late Ministry in the matter would have sufficed to have warned Ministers against such a suicidal course. It is indeed an unqualified source of regret to all the would-be supporters of Mr Stafford and his ministry, that they are so blind to their own interests and those of the public as to persist in this and kindred measures. The measure in question was, notwithstanding all that has been said or may be said to the contrary, a complete failure. Entailing as it did v a deal of unnecessary inconvenience and annoyance upon the public—while it was entirely unproductive of any adequate return, and producing as it did the unqualified condemnation of the public—it was wisely abandoned after a short trial. It doe's seem to us that it is not a mere question for the Executive Government, but one for the representatives of the people to decide ; and we hope that it will be brought forward by some independent member, in order that it may be condemned by the House, when we should suppose the question would be settled. With the above thcPosl raaster-Generalalso refers to the subject of Post Office Savings’ Banks, and states “ that it is the intention of the Government to allow of their introduction in the Colony, in accordance with an

Act passed during the last session of the General Assembly. The regulations have been prepared, under the able superintendence of Dr Knight, who so successfully organised the Money Order system, and arrangements are in progress which will obviate further delay in introducing the provisions of the Act. It is proposed at first to restrict the operations to two or three of the largest of the Post Offices, so that their working may be fully tested before extending them to smaller and more distant districts.” As these Savings Banks have proved an undoubted success wherever they have been tried, encouraging and fostering habits of sobriety, industry, frugality, and economy amongst the humbler classes of the people, we sincerely trust that no time will be lost in effecting their general introduction ; and as it is shown that the system of control and supervision of the postal establishment is most complete, extending to its most distant ramifications, we can see no reason why they should not be extended to at least all the principal offices in the Colony, instead of to “ only two or three” as proposed. We also notice, in connexion with the extent of the Postal System in the Colony that during 1865, the total length of inland postal services has increased by over 300 miles, or from 3,029 miles in 1331, to 3,360 miles, its present extent, and that twentyfive new offices have been opened, and five of the old ones closed. On the subject of franking letters the Post-master-General’s report proposes still further to restrict the privilege by entirely abolishing the present system, and allowing public documents to be franked only by means of official stamps. It does not seem that the proposed system is quite perfected as yet, but there is no doubt it will be made to answer the desired end of preventing a system of fraud, which is now carried on to a large extent. The following is a statement of the number and weight of franked letters which passed through the various post-offices during the year, and the amount of postage represented by them:—Franked letters, 187,222; weight in ounces, 413,112 ; postage value, £8,678 Is 2d. Closely connected with the matters contained in this report, is the return recently supplied to the General Assembly on the motion of Mr Ward, showing the expense incurred in the Postal Department in allowances to sub-postmasters and licensed vendors, on the sale of postage stamps, for the financial year ended 30th June, 1865. The return shows for Auckland, £372 4s; Canterbmy, £295 15s 6d; Otago, £292; Wellington, £125 2s 3d; Nelson, £sl 2s 4d; Southland, £44 8s ; Taranaki, £32 ; Hawke’s Bay, £27 17s 3d ; Marlborough, £l6 12s ; total, £1,257 2s Id. Thus showing that for the paltry apparent saving of some £1,200 per annum, the Government did not hesitate to inflict one of the greatest annoyances, attended often by serious inconvenience and loss, upon the whole country. We have called it an apparent saving, and we know it to be so in fact, the stamp-sellers being in the habit of using the stamps as small change, many scores of pounds’-worth taken in this way never go through the post-office, but are soiled and wasted or lost by those who take them. We doubt not that nearly if not quite the whole of the stamp-sellers’ commission is not seldom returned to the Government in this way. We understand that a reduced commission is in contemplation, to be allowed to sub-post-masters, and that it will not be restored to the general licensed vendor. Bather, we

should say, it would be a mark of wisdom to allow the 5 per cent, commission on all purchases of stamps in large quantities at a time, by whomsoever obtained, and throw the sale of them open to the public. To say nothing of the vast saving of labor and trouble this would effect at the Post Offices, the comniission would only and barely represent the proper discount that should be allowed for paying money into tbe revenue in advance of its falling due, as these stamps, paid for in cash, become an article of merchandise sold very slowly, and in small quantities. Mr Stafford appears to be of opinion that the commissiion is not considered an inducement by private vendors, and that they would coniinue to sell for other reasons were no commission allowed. He is in error there, as the universal discontinuance of the sale of stamps by private vendors upon the disallowance of the commission sufficiently proves. As a whole the report is as we have already said, highly interesting and instructive, and we once more tender our acknowledgments to the Government for the promptitude with which we have been supplied with the parliamentary papers of the session.