More Than Story Of Stamps

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 24, 25 November 1938, Page 14

More Than Story Of Stamps

Lively Romance [n History Of Growth Of The Post

Woo would have realised that it was the introduction of postal services that brought about the improvement in the roads of the world? In "Haste, Post, Haste!" George Walker sets about proving this statement. He proves it in such an interesting manner that what at first appeared to: be a "heavy historical publication" soon took hold of my interest and = followed the "Post" down the Dover Road, shared.the excitements met on that lonely stretch-a stretch where it was necessary, by law, to remove trees, or hedges, from within 20 feet of the highway, and se stop highwaymen from waylaying the "Post" in the dark stretches. Mr, Walker shows that foreign merchants had established a regular dispatch of letters in 1496, and by 1514 merchants of London-the strangers, chiefly Flemings-had set up a post to the Continent!

14d A Mile

The "Post" was officially established on January 14, 1583, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and part of the proclamation read that: "The post shall receive the sum of threehalfpence per mile when riding on her Majesty’s service, and twopence per mile when otherwise engaged";

and "no man riding in post shail ride without a guide, which shall blow his horn as oft as he meeteth company, or passeth through a town, or at the least thrice every mile."

His Plan

Before 1880 anyone who desired" to send a letter into the country was compelled either to take it, or send it, to the Post Office, which was then in Lombard Street. One, William Dockwra, planned to bring Lombard Street near to every part of London, and = thus. inerease the number of letters to be earried, He had a genius for organisation, and opened up offices where letters might be left and also called for. At the summit of his organisation he had no fewer than 450 places at which letters might be received. His next innovation was to make a fixed charge, and to make it so reasonable that the post would be widely used. He took a penny as the normal fee, and thus established a penny post for. London-more than 250 years ago!~W.l1. "Haste, Post, Haste!" by George Walker. George Harrap and Co, Ltd., London. Our copy from the publishers.