POSTAL UNION.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1925, Page 4

POSTAL UNION.

REDUCTIONS IN RATES. REPORT TO MINISTER. WELLINGTON, April 23. The Secretary of the rest and Telegraph Department, who attended the recent Postal Union Congress at Stockholm, lia-s submitted a report on the proceedings to the Minister. The l’ol lowing arc extracts: DOMINION VOTES.' liver since the Union was formed attempts have been made at each Congress to deprive the British Dominions of the right to vote individually or to restrict their voting power. It has been claimed in some quarters that the Dominions side always with Great Britain, and that their right to vote simply increased the voting power of the Mother Country. For many years the right of Australia, Canada-, India, -New Zealand and South Africa to vote had been given hy a special clause in the Convention, hut unfortunately this clause was always subject to attack. INTERNATJONA I. POSTAGE RATES. There was a full discussion on this •subject, and from the decisions arrived at New Zealand will be in a position to reduce the international postage rate on letters from 21 d for the first ounce and Ltd for each succeeding ounce, to 2d for the first ounce and Id for each succeeding ounce. I will give ibis question consideration, and will at a later date make a recommendation to YOU. TRANSIT CHARGES. The question of transit rate (i.c., charges made hy one country for conveying over its territory mail matter from a second country for a third country) lias always been one of the most contentious and difficult matters requiring the attention of Congress. On this occasion countries dealing with only limited quantities ol transit mail matter made very strenuous efforts to secure the abolition ol transit charges. The adoption of such a proposal would he most unfair to many countries, although a strong appeal was marie hy the, Australian delegate for the maintenance of the status quo. Alter a long discussion a scale of reduced rates was agreed to. Situated as' it is. New Zealand is a country through which very little transit mail matter passes. On the other hand, most ol the mail matter dispatched from New Zealand is subject to a transit charge, and the reduction in the rates means to New Zealand a saving of approximately £3090 per annum. LETTERS UNDER COYER. It. is now laid down that a, letter must not contain any eomimmßation, note or .document addressed to a person other than the addressee, of the letter. PROHIBITION'S. Among the additional articles prohibited for transmission hy post mention may ho made of the following:--(1) Samples forwarded in numbers with a view of avoidance of Customs duty. (2) Money, hank notes, jewellery, or previous stones (sent unregistered). (3) Any articles used in wriipping which are. likely to injure postal officers. POSTAL PACKET DIMENSIONS. It was decided that the maximum dimensions of postcard.; will he increased from 5} x 3V inches to s:{ x I inches, and the maximum size of samples IronI foot x 3 inches x I inches, or, it in the form of a roll 1 foot in length and (i inches in diameter to 18 x 8 x I inches or if in the form of a roll 8 inches in length and (i inches in diameter. MINIMUM. SURCHARGE.

The mini 111 tun surcharge on unpaid or insufficient !v prepaid correspunden' e

will he reduced to It) centimes (Id) This will mean that so far as Now Zea land is eoiretyied. the minimum fitir charge on correspondence Iruin <-ver seas will he reduced lroiti lid to Id. PANEL ENVELOPES.

The Madrid Convention prohibited the use of the international service of envelopes with transparent panels unless the panels formed an Integral pari nj the envelope. In so ho- ns unregis* lered cori'espondeii e is concerned, this provision lias been relaxed to permit of the use of a “two piece” pane) cir. elope. The next Congress will lie. held in 'I don in 1929.

A SYDNEY REFORM. SYDNEY, April 1(1. The reform introduced under the Local Government Act, enabling councils to protect their residential districts from invasion by trades and industrial undertakings, and to create purely residential suburbs where Ihe drab ugliness and noise ot factories are not allowed to enter, has proved so useful and welcome that an elaboration of it is being urged. The Act at present relates only to the use of buildings for certain trades. If. for example, a 1 ratio can lie carried mi without erecting a building, the Ai t cannot affect it. One of Lhe amendments now sought is that the reform should relate also to .land, so that, in defined areas, the Act would be made a bar to quarries and briekpits for instance, as well as to factories. The reform lias had. the definite tendency to confine factories and other forms of indusliy to certain prescribed areas, and is a guarantee to people who are paying big prices for building blocks ill lhe best suburbs--anything up to C2U a foot, and sometimes more llmt they will not find themselves cheek by jowl with structures and an atmosphere inconsistent with their natural surroundings and a good type ol architecture. Residential districts, however, are proclaimed only alter very careful enquiry. Ol 30 applications last year, for example, only nine were successful; one was refused, and tinbalance are still being investigated Judging by the number of residential districts created since the Act became law in 1919, and by the applications still pouring in, tlio reform is one ot the most popular of all changes inadi in local government in New Sotttl Wales.