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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 310, 15 December 1884, Page 2

Thursday’s Gazette notifies the additional charge for letters carried vi<i Brindisi. The new regulation applies to all inward correspondence as well as outward. This makes the alteration o. considerable importance, for a very Urge proportion of our English letters, and nearly all newspapers, come out vid Brindisi, and on arrival at this end will be subject to additional postage. A cable message received the other day informed us that the English Government refused to consent to the increased charges, but as we read that refusal it only makes the matter very much worse for us. This , is, clue to the determination of the English post’d authorities to send all correspondence for New Zealand by the first available mail, whethei by Brindisi, the direct steam service, 01 San Francisco. Had the English authorities assented to tire increased charges, only letters and papers bearing double postage would have been, forwarded by the Brindisi route, but all correspondence posted just before a Brindisi mail leaves will be sent, whether it bears double or single postage. The result will be that the authorities here will surcharge all letters and papers with another postal f ate equal to that paid in England, and this surcharge will be collected before any letters are delivered, thus causing vexatious delay in delivery as well as expense to the recipient. But though the public will be inconvenienced they are well off compared with unfortunate newsvendors receiving English papers and distributing them here. These agents have contracted with their customers to supply the papers at a fixed charge, which leaves a very small margin after expenses are paid. Nearly all the newsvendors’ papers at present come via Brindisi, and, if the new regulations be adhered to, they will after this be called upon to pay doub e postage for every newspaper or book packet received. This will be absolute loss to them, and as many’ agents receive thousands of papers by each Brindisi mail the loss will be serious for a few months, until they can instruct their English agents not to use the Brindisi service any more. If the enforcement of the new rates were suspended for a time—say until February 1st —correspondents and news agents at this end of the world would be able to communicate with their English agents, and inform them of the new arrangements. Doubtless if the facts are put before the Postmaster-General in a proper manner some relief in this direction may be granted.