Postal Reforms.

Manawatu Herald, 29 November 1900, Page 3

Postal Reforms.

The Hon. J. G. Ward addressed a meeting at Clinton on Tuesday evening during which he mentioned the following postal reforms to be brought into force : — In connection with postal reform penny postage was not the only reform to be brought into operation. It was proposed to establish from the ist of January " an express " delivery by telegraph messengers for letters and parcels up to 31b. The delivery in the meantime would be restricted to the principal centres, but gradually it would be extended to other portions of the colony. Under this system " expressed " articles would be sent from any post office within the colony, and such offices outside the colony as cared to reciprocate. The delivery would be up to three miles. For the first mile sixpence would be charged, and for ea£h additional mile threepence. Provision would also be made for " expressed" articles and stamped telegrams being collected by letter-carriers and telegraph messengers. In the case of telegrams, this should be a decided convenience to people living some distance from a telegraph office. Another proposal was to have uniform parcel rates for all parts of the Empire. The present rate to London was one shilling for the first pound and .sixpence for each additional pound. "The present rate now proposed was • one shilling for three pounds, two shillings for seven pounds and three shillings for eleven pounds. In addition, he also proposed to establish a telegraph messenger service in connection with telephone exchanges, to enable subscribers to ring tor a messenger to run an errand, order a cab, etc. The charge would be the same as for an " express " letter delivery up to three miles, and messages would be delivered up to five miles oh payment of the ordinary cab or train fare. He had every confidence that a success would be made of such a system. It would be self-supporting, and was worth a trial V ============