JUBILEE OF PENNY POSTAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2757, 15 March 1890, Page 6 (Supplement)

JUBILEE OF PENNY POSTAGE.

A" Departmental" dinner, hold "in commemoration of the Jubilee of Uniform Penny Postage, took placii on Weduesdiiy evening at the Holburn restaurant. London. Mr H. C. Raikes, M.P,, proaided, and among those present were Sir Lyon ..okyfair,,Mr Shaw-Lefevre, M P.. Sir A. Blackwood (secretary to the Posfofflce), Sir John Xilley (late secretary t<> the Post-office), Mr Pearson Hill (son of Sir Rowland Hill), &o. In proponing the toast, "the Post-office," the chairman wiid, in meeting there on that occasion, thoy were celebrating what, though the (subject of it seemed in the first instance inconsiderable, had really been ona of the greatest of the peaceful revolutions of tho oentury (hear, hear), and they who gat within the walla of the establishment which had benefited so greatly by the foresight and tho practical genius of the great man who initiated that reform, would indeed be the most ungrateful of mankind if they did not assemble there to congratulate one another upon theprogre. of hie great idea, and ono to do honour to his name (hear, hear). What he had' attacked was the presumption-that th>' charge of postage should increase as the distance, covered increased. It was the courage, the sturdinens, and tenacity, an well as the inventive faculty, of Mr Rowland Hill that demonstrated that, in point of fact, the distance travelled waalmost an infinitesimal element in, the cost of transmission. Sir Rowland -an amateur an outsider—grasped the fact that had not become patent to the officials at St. Martin's-le Grand, and not only had the cleverness, ingenuity, and fertility of resources to discover and develop the idea,' but had also the faoulty of moderate and earnest eloquence, which brought the country at once to his side. A. little sanguine, n" doubt, ho was. Ha believed the revenu would recoup itself within a shorter time than it actually did. That it did recoup itself, and more than recoup itself, and that the net profit of the Post-office at the present time, enormously as its business had increased, was double what it was at that time, wore facts kuown to every schoolboy (hear, hear). After the introduction of the reform, the volume of the postal business increased by leaps and hounds until now the letters curried represented 42 letters per annum to each head of the population, whereas pre viously the number was only three. The actual volume of letters' carried was twenty times what it was 50 years ago. He was not speaking of the subsidiary services, such as the post cards, the circulars, the book post, and the parcels post, which increased tho total from oue hundred and fifty millions to two thousand three hundred million missives. During the short time he had been connected with the postal department of this country, the increase in the number of letters dispatched and received in the United Kingdom had been no less than one hundred and seventy-two millions — that was to say, during those two years the increase was more than the whole number of letters carried in 1840. At the present moment there were 18,000 post-offices in the United Kingdom, as well as 50,000 other receptacles for letters. There wero engaged in the postal service 58.000 establishment officials, as well at 50,000- other persons (cheers). Thanks to the reform of Sir Rowland Hill, their department had become the most important administrative department of the State (hear, hear.) As to the army, why the numbers hi had just mentioned to them—of which he might call himself tho commander-in-chief—were more uumerous than any regular forces whioh the Secretary of War oould show within the confines of her Majesty's dominions. After the penny postage came the Post office Savings Bank, and the result, of that, institution, by which the Post-office became the banker of the poor, was that the department could show a total of sixty-two millions of money, and they had been able, in consequence of recent legislation, to act not only as bankers, but alsn as brokers to the labouring clashes, and to invest no lees than four millions of their money in the fundH of the country. Ten yoars later camo tho telegraphs. Ho was sure his friend seated by his side (Mr Shaw L»fevre) and the public generally would be pleased to learn that tho number of telegrams sent in the last financial year amounted to fifty-seven million* (cheers), and they would also be triad to hear that, (hough the revenue from thi* source when h>- came into office showed a deficit of £145,000 —the immediate consequence of the sixpenny telegrams—it. showed in the last year a surplus of more than £80,000 (cheers) Then there was a great development of the money order system, brought about by the initiation of the postal orders. Last year no less a sum than 39 millions of money wa« trans mitted by moans of money orders of one class aud another (cheers). Then there was the parcels po'Jt, of the enormous convenience of which all of them were every day sensible (hear, hear). Then, again, they must not forget the reduction in tho price of postal cards and the establishment of an improved method of sale. Thev used to charge 8d for a packet of 12. but it had occurred to him that people did not cal cnlate money by eightpences or the majority of things by twelves (hear, hear). Now if any one wanted to buy a hundred, he sent 5s ; and for a pound he got 400, which was simplicity it«elf Objections were urged bv antiquated Kadical-i against tho postal coach, on the ground that in age of railway it was a reactionary innovation (laughter.) He was happy to believe that the postal eoach to Brighton would effect a considerable saving of money (hear, hear), and he was the more anxious to introduce the coach between Liverpool and Manchester as he thought, it would be a picturesque and telling way of demonstrating to the public that the : present contract between the railway and the department was one that was not beneficial to the public service (great cheering). They were sometimes charged with not keeping pace with the time*, aud although he did not think the accusation fair, he woiild remind the public that the department had a partner—Mr Jorkins (laughter), and that the Post-office was uot in a position to give effect to its own promptings without consulting that partner (hear, hear). In conclusion, Mr Raikes dealt with the argument* urged in favour of an international penny postage. Ridiculing the proposal, he denied that the logic of Sir Rowland Hill be quoted in support of it, tHe crucial matter, namely, the area of productiveness, failing them. Sir A. Blackwood and Mr Pearson Hill responded, and other toasts followed,