THE DOMINION’S “ROWLAND H LL”

Hokitika Guardian, 16 January 1930, Page 3

THE DOMINION’S “ROWLAND H LL”

(Auckland “Star.”) The resumption by the Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward, of the portfolio of Postmaster-General after the laps, of a decade met with unhersal approval. As the holder of this position on several occasions, Sir Josept has a distinguished and unrivalled record. Hr first held the portfolio as early as 1891 and continued as Postmaster-General until 1912, with the exception of three years, 1896-99, when the position was filled by the Premier, Mr Seddop. Sir Joseph thus held office as Postmaster- . General in the Ballance, Seddon, HallJoiies and Ward Ministries. On the National Ministry being formed in August, 1915, he once again took over the portfolio, .which be continued to administer until the break-up of t 1 coalition, in 1910. Arid now lie is again head of the Post and Telegraph < Department, nearly thirty-nine years after the commencement of his first tenure of office.

For a considerable time prior to 1891 New Zealand had had twopenny postage It was in the course of the Bnllance Administration that year that the Act whs passed authorising the innu«rration of penny postage. It was announced that the introduction of the new rate would result in a loss of

£40,000 a year to the country’s revenue. . In view of this it was decided not to bring the Act into force for the present, and it accordingly remained in abeyance for close on ten years. Towards the -end of 1900 arrangements were made for the institution of penny postage as from January 1, 1901, the first day of the twentieth century. By this, time it was estimated that the loss to revenue would be £BO,OOO a year, but Sir Joseph said that he was confident that the colony would soon recover this as it had recovered from previous reductions within periods of not more than two and a-haltf years. There was no cause to regret the taaing of such a progressive step. His prediction proved correct.. During the first year of the operation of penny postage the postal authorities handled nearly 13.090,000 more letters than they had the previous year. There was also an increase of nearly 2,000,000 in the number of newspapers. There were, however, small decreases in the number of letter-cards and postcards handled.

Not only was internal penny postage introduced in 1901, but universal penpy postage was inaugurated at the same time. This meant that letters could be sent for a penny to any country in the world which was willing to accept? them. Australia at first declined to do so. New Zealand was the first country to adopt the universal penny to commemorate the the occasion a- special “universal postage” stamp was issued It was very similar to the popular penny stamp which has only recently gone out of issue. The central design was the same: a female figure on an island representing New* Zealand; with a globe behind her representing the world, the background being occupied by a stretch of-water with a mail boat approaching land. Even when- the design w*as altered the words “universal postage” were retained. In' the course of the war period Sir Joseph, as PostmasterGeneral, was forced to raise the postage rate first to a pehny-balf-penny and then to twopence. A halfpenny “war stamp” was also issued. The increase, however, "was only temporary, and the rate was subsequently reduced again to a penny.

oir Joseph, who first became Post-master-General at the age of thirtyfive, has the distinction of having commenced his life’s career in the New Zealand postal service itself, haying started as a- telegraph messenger at the Bluff. When he visited Auckland in December, 1900, shortly before' the penny postage scheme came into force, Sir Joseph was entertained by the officers of the Post and Telegraph Department in Auckland. Warm tributes v r ere then paid to his sympathetic interest in the welfare of the staff, particularly in connection with the improving of salaries. To-day he is generally recognised as the best Post-master-General the Dominion has yet had and may well be termed the “Rowland Hill of New Zealand.” —ACT AX