Forty Years a Liberal

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 646, 24 April 1929, Page 2

Forty Years a Liberal

LIFE STORY OF SIR JOSEPH WARD From Telegraph Messenger to Prime Minister By R. A. LOUGHNAN (Copyright— Sun Feature Service) ENTERING Parliament in ISS7, Sir Joseph Ward is a £ veteran among contemporary statesmen and his career is traced and described in this serier of articles by R. A. Lougdman for readers of The Sun. Xo. XXVII.

Tlie day was not far distant, lie felt sure, if it had not already dawned In Rome, wlieu the universal penny post would he really universal. At the same time lie guarded himself against the supposition that the adoption of his motion meant the compulsion of every nation of the Postal Union to revolutionise its postal system forthwith. That would be a very serious misunderstanding. All it meant was the adoption of the principle, leaving each government to work its way through the difficulties. In his reference to the postal systems of the world he refrained from details, leaving the various representatives to handle them. He contented himself with pointing out whatever signs there were of growing favour to the universal penny post. He drew the attention of the conference to the fact that he, with the consent of his colleagues of the Cabinet, had, on Januai'y 1, 1901, had the pleasure of announcing tlie establishment of penny post in New Zealand to every point of the civilised world; and he invited the members of the conference whose governments had favoured the penny post in any way to help the cause by giving the conference the details he had left for them, as he had said. APPEAL TO NATIONS This appeal was to Canada—where the inland penny post had x-ecouped all losses—to Egypt, of the same experience; to Germany, Austria and Hungary, all of which have the penny post in operation; and Britain, the 69-year-old pioneer of penny postage. These appeals, with the fact that the losses at the start on inland penny postage are always greater than those on the foreign side, arguing that successful application of penny post in a country of small and sparse population like New Zealand must be surpassed by countries more largely and more densely peopled. In short the New Zealand Postmaster-General who had succeeded left no stone unturned in his brave and most able effort of persuasion of the world’s representatives to do likewise. It was tlie speech of a finished diplomat with a great advocate’s instinct of swift appeal. The resolution he moved after this speech, dealt with the Fifth Article of the Postal Union Convention of Washington, 1897, which had fixed the postal rate throughout the civilised world. This Article provided;— (1) The rates of postage for the conveyance of postal articles throughout the entire extent of the union, including their delivery at the residence of the addresses in the countries of the union, where a delivery is or shall be organised, are fixed as follows; (i) For letters, 25 centimes in case of prepayment, and double the amount in the contrary case, for each letter and for every weight of 15 grammes or fraction of 15 grammes. Sir Joseph Ward, New Zealand, Article V. being under discussion, moved that in subsection (i.) of section (I.) “10 centimes” be substituted for “25 centimes” for letters within the union for 15 grammes weight. This motion amending section (I.) of the Fifth Article he had supported with his able, closely-reasoned and optimistic speech as above described. EGYPT’S EXPERIENCE The motion was seconded by Saba Pasha (Egypt) who, after paying a tribute to the spirit—l quote from the official report—and initiative of the New Zealand Postmaster-General, stated that the experience of New Zealand subsequent to the lowering of the Postal Tariff was similar to the experience of all other countries which had made reductions. In Egypt results had surpassed all expectations. In addition to tlie advantages enumerated by Sir Joseph Ward, the reduction of the international rate would confer a great benefit ou the millions of emigrants scattered over all the world. Each of the proposals submitted to the congress (in regard to postal rates) constituted an advance on the existing regime, but that of New Zealand approached the neai'est to the fundamental principle of the union—Article I.—which pronounces that the countries of the union form but one postal territory. The principle would only receive its full application when all differences between the international tariff and the internal tariff of each country disappeared. At this stage the Japanese representative moved the Japanese Amendment to Article V. by a reduction to 20 centimes, and supported it in a set speech. The debate was long and critical, largely of Sir Joseph Ward’s speech. Sir Joseph Ward, replying lor New Zealand, insisted on the serious and practical nature of his proposal. He fully recognised that the financial side must be carefully considered by every country; but he contended that the case he had developed In his previous speech was such as to dispel apprehensions of this sort, and other objections and criticisms made in the debate. If, however, his motion was not adopted, he would vote for that of Japan, which marked a step in advance. “Half a loaf was better than no bread,” and he would do his best to secure the remainder later. FULL SUCCESS WITHHELD The conference which had strongly applauded Sir Joseph’s main speech, as well as the supporting speech of Saba Pasha, rejected the motion, the voting being. Ayes, 3; Noes, 18; abstentions, 4. Ayes: United States of America, Australasia, Egypt. Noes; Germany, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Holland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay. Abstentions: Canada, Great Britain, India, Japan. Sir Joseph had deserved success, but he had not commanded it. He L could not have been surprised, as he

liad been in communication with all the countries of the Postal Union, immediately he had established the penny post in New Zealand, informing them of the fact and requesting cooperation if possible. He had received favourable replies only from ten small States, of which only one had agreed to the bilateral arrangement giving the penny post to both sides, the others agreeing to the unilateral arrangements binding them to accept without surcharge New Zealand letters at a penny, levying the old union rate on their own letters addressed to New Zealand. All the great countries and most of the small ones had refused co-operation. Even Great Britain had refused the special request of New Zealand for support at the Convention of Rome, 190 G. Sir Joseph had entered on his Roman compaign, therefore, with full knowledge of the minds of the members of the Postal Convention. He j had determined to try for his object by personal appeal which often succeeds where written correspondence has failed. His appeal was bold, for it asked the world to accept the tremendous reduction to a penny from its fixed agreed charge of twopence-halfpenny. That he probably regretted the largeness of the step he had proposed, may be surmised from his expression of readiness, in ease of rejection of his motion, to support the Japanese proposal for a twopenny service, as a step in advance —-“half a loaf is better,” he said, “than no bread” —declaring his determination to try for the remainder at a later date. The debate in the convention on his ably supported motion had shown him that he had asked too much. True, he had safeguarded the motion by making it clear that he was only asking acceptance from the convention of the principle, leaving its practical effect on the ratification by the governments and peoples concerned. DID NOT LOSE HEART But whether disappointed or not, Sir Joseph did not lose heart. On the contrary, he gathered his forces for another effort. Rather than let the great objective stagnate where it was* for ten years till the next congress, he would move it forward into the world of things progressive and moving. He made the attempt with the following resolution: “That in view of the enormous social and political advantages, and the very material and commercial advantages to accrue from a system of international penny postage; and of the further fact that any depression of postal revenue resulting from the adoption of such a system has now been proved to be only temporary in duration and inconsiderate in amount, this conference recommends to his Majesty’s Government the advisability of, and when suitable opportunity occurs, of approaching the governments of those States, members of the Universal Postal Union which have hitherto declined to agree, either to an interchange of letters at a one penny rate, or to accept of letters from abroad at the same rate, to a more general and if possible a universal adoption of that rate.” The adoption of this—Sir Joseph’s second resolution—made the success of the great speech he had made in favour of his first resolution in which he was defeated. It was a great triumph for the New Zealand Postmaster-General who had 15 years before this made the first step toward the establishment of universal penny post. That step was the obtaining, from Parliament for the Government of the country, of permission to start the penny post system whenever it might be found possible and convenient. (To be continued daily.)