Centennial Of Penny Postage

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 24, 8 December 1939, Page 8

Centennial Of Penny Postage

was first started in England, New Zealand has re-introduced twopenny postage as a war measure. Some of the story of penny postage is to be given in the Centenaries series from 1YA on Sunday, December 10, at 2 p.m. Titled " Reality and Romance," the talk will cover the betrothal of Queen Victoria as well as the history of letter-carrying; but at the moment it seems as if the title embracing the two items might be applied just as well to the first one alone, since, while the NBS goes romancing about postal rates of the nineteenth century, the twentieth century finds itself faced with the realities of a war-time economy. ‘ hundred years after penny postage Versatile Rowland Hill Rowland Hill first attracted attention as a schoolmaster. Jeremy Bentham, Dr. Arnold (of Rugby), Joseph Hume, all noticed his work at Hazelwood, where they did without corporal punishment. Then this most versatile man became an inventor, and included in his investigations an inquiry into the incidence of postage costs,

Correspondents in England had been paying for weight as well as distance. He showed that a flat rate was practicable, that such varying charges had no good reason for their being, and that, for instance, it was unfair to charge one-and-fourpence-halfpenny for carrying a letter from London to Edinburgh when the cost to the State was no more than one thirtysixth of a penny. The State did not see things in quite the same light, and held out on Hill until 1839. Hill also proposed prepayment by the stamp system, and with his actuarial figuring proved that one penny per half-ounce would not only cover all costs, but also produce more revenue. He won in the end. Ultimately he became secretary to the PostmasterGeneral. Penny Stamps In New Zealand In New Zealand penny postage was first approached in 1867 when, on January 1, postage rates became. one penny for town letters, twopence for country letters, and threepence for letters going between different provinces. It was under the late Sir Joseph Ward, in 1901, that true penny postage came. The rate covered letters going anywhere inland, irrespective of distance, and also letters going overseas to countries which would accept letters with only a one penny stamp.