Thoughts For The Times

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1920, Page 2

Thoughts For The Times

A Serious Aspect. “The best method of getting bigger revenue would surely have been to reduce rather than add to the postage and telegraph rates,” said the manager' of a large. Christchurch drapery and furnishing establishment. “That’s the lesson we have learned, anywny. If we put something extra on to the price >of an article, the result is a 'drop in trade, If we take something off, the result is tremendous support from tho public. The really serious aspect of the business, though, is the .total and a ; absolute disappearance of anything like the old penny postage. When we got it, Sir Joseph Ward said: ‘One of the ; ■ . finest tlijngs this country has ever done is to adopt" universal penny postage.’ I think, both as a private citizen and as a business, man that' we should endeavour to revert to thd old system at any cost, rather than get further away from it. ' I have not had time' yet to calculate what effect the new charges will have on our trade. The letter/ stamp bill will be a heavy item, but I am quite sure that we will continue g to seal ordinary account envelopes, though it means twopence each time. The telegraph and parcel rates seein pretty stiff. It all means a rise in the cost of Jiving. Customers will have \ more to pay-”