THE POSTAL CONFERENCE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2173, 10 March 1891, Page 1

THE POSTAL CONFERENCE.

Sydney, March 6. At the Postal Conference to day it was announced that the New Zealand and Queensland Governments would stand out ot the Eastern Extension cable agreement, Mr Ward explained that his Government had finally made up their mind that the advantages proposed were not sufficient benefit to the colony to iodqca them to inour so great an expenditure, The delegates of those colonies who have entered into the agreement o >menled on the action of the New Zealand and Queensland Governments, describing it as unfriendly in view of the federation now under discuss',cm. Mr Ward replying tfioqght the allusion to fecjefatiqq v*as unwise, as the Postal Conference should not attempt to create a hostile feeling on this question while it was under dedale in another Conference,

Mr tf. Q. Duffy, DostmasUr-General of Yictoria, moved—“ That the intercolonial postage be reduced to one penny.’ Mr Ward (New Zealand) seconded the motion pro Jornycy, 4n doing so, ho stated that his Government contemplated next session establishing penny postage within New Zealand, which meant a reduction in revenue of £30,000 per annum. He favor, d a reduction |u inter, colonial postage hut pointed out that they mast make the reform hy degrees ; there, fore, until the reduction in bis own colony had been estab ished, be could not support the proposal of the PostmasterQeueral of Victoria.

'ihe motion was adjoqrped. A motion v?«s carried dealing with letters relating to sweeps in a uniform manqer, The Committee appointed to inquire into the cable question recommend that

the two colonies, N»-w Zealand and Queensland, which stand f 'qdt of the agreement, should be required to pay th* present rates, subject to the consent of the Cable Company, who have been communicated with. March 7. At the Postal Conference the reports by the heads of departments’on the Postal and Telegraph regulations were carried ! after amendments. The principal objections were entered by Mr Gray, Secretary of the Post and Telegraphs, New Zealand* against the; abolition of collect telegrams, cbarging ’for addresses, and the limitation of press messages dur-< ing the day to five hundred words. The motion of the Hon. Mr Ward (New Zea'and) that in the opinion of this Conference, seeing the advantages, to be derived by America from the mail service to Australia, the American Go-> vernment be urged to substantially subsidise any mail line between San Francisco, New Zealand and. Australia, was carried. The Adelaide delegates suggested a reciprocal arrangement between Australia and New Zealand over the San Francisco and Suez mails. If New Zealand would reduce the present rate to 12s per lb for letters, Is for books and fid fbr newspapers by the San Francisco route she would be allowed to send by Suez at the same rate. The motion brought forward yesterday by Mr Huffy, for an intercolonial penny post, was withdrawn.