CO885-5 — Page 234

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

6

C.O. 885

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

British Colonial

vote ceded to Canada.

by the

59 e

Denmark were awarded a vote for the whole of the colonial possessions of each nationality.

33. On the entry of Canada in 1878, the Dominion Government demanded a vote, and was so earnest in its demond, that, finding the rest of the Union Powers would not concede another vote to a portion of Her Majesty's dominions, the Imperial Government, with the consent of the Union at large, ceded to Canada the vote obtained for the Colonies generally, leaving the rest of the Colonies in the Union to be represented by the mother country with one common voice.

34. By 1885 the mass of Colonial territory thus included in one representation with the mother country was enormously increased, and it was felt that the British Colonics Votes offered ought to be represented separately. The result of the discussion of this question at Lisbon was an offer from the assembled delegates of one vote for the whole of the Australasian Colonies, and one for the whole of the Colonies now without a vote, including the Cape and Natal, and contingent upon those Colonies entering the Union.

35. Feeling that it was perfectly certain no greater concession than this would at any time be offered, the British delegates recommended that this offer should be pressed upon the acceptance of the Colonies concerned; and this was done.

Lisbon Congress.

Offer pressed.

Attitude of

Cape and Natal,

Australian

Federal

Council.

United

action of

Colonies

towards new

packet service.

Proposed

adoption of Union

principles.

36. Up till the present time, the Cape Colony has declined to waive the demand for a separate vote; but it has also been anxious to await the result of its newly-established parcel post before incurring fresh postal risks; and Natal will not join unless the Cape joins.

37. The Australian Colonies, equally with the South African, have remained steadily disinclined to enter the Union without separate votes; but there are two important circumstances of comparatively recent date which point to the probability that this difliculty may eventually be overcome. The one is the establishment of the Federal Council, an event which exemplifies the possibility of merging individual interests in a common interest.

The other is the united action taken by the Colonies for the establishment of a packet service on a basis wholly different to that of the present

services.

38. The near approach of the date at which the contracts between the British and Victorian Governments and the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company will expire, and with them in the natural course, the present arrangement between the mother country and the Colonies as to the apportionment of postage earnings and expenses, the Colonies have considered what measures it will be best to adopt for carrying on the service after the date in question (namely, the 1st of February 1888). The result has been that the Colonial Governments have proposed to the Imperial Government the establishment of a packet service between Europe and Australia at the joint cost of the mother country and the Colonies. The basis of settlement with the contractors, which it is desired to adopt, is payment according to the weight of the mails. The basis of contribution proposed is similar, each post office to pay the cost of what it despatches, and to keep for that purpose the whole of the postage which it collects. Now, the principle of this scheme, emanating from the Colonies themselves, is neither more nor less than the fundamental principle of the Universal Postal Union; and, if the project he brought to a successful issue, it can scarcely be long before the Governments of the several Colonies elect to give their people the full benefit of the modern system by entering the Union.

39. The 12 years' work done by the Imperial Post Office in persistently reviving this question, so long as there have been Colonies outside the Union, has at all events resulted in this, that the only important civilised communities not now included in the Union have become ready to enter on certain conditions, which are reasonable enough, though one of them is unfortunately unattainable.

40. It is also clear that the constant study of the sound principles on which the Union is based has commended them to the administrative mind of the Colonies at large; for they now act on those principles and quote them in negotiation and correspondence with the Imperial Post Office, even when the question of absolute adherence is not under discussion. That the principles of the Union have long been appreciated in Australia Sir Graham is abundantly evident from the result of the Sydney Conference; and it may be well to Berry's summary of quote here from a memorandum handed in to that conference by the Hon. (now Sir) Graham Berry, Postmaster-General of Victoria, the following excellent summary of the benefits of the Union :-

benefits of

the Union.

"I. It is designed to stimulate social and commercial intercourse, and the establish- ment of closer relations and common interests between individuals of different nationalities, and in this respect it may be designated as beneficent and cosmopolitan in its character.

69/

"II. With a view to facilitate and promote this intercourse, it proposes not only that the best and most rapid means of conveyance shall be employed, but that the cost of such conveyance shall be reduced to the lowest possible limits, and that the postal charges on the correspondence shall be proportionately low, both transit rates and postal charges being subject to reduction from time to time, as circumstances may seem to demand.

III. It aims at establishing a common agreement between all nations in a matter of universal interest, which will form a not unimportant addition to international law, and can scarcely fail to secure many advantages to all civilised communities.

IV. It provides for the adoption, as far as practicable, of uniform rates and practice in dealing with correspondence, the consequent removal of anomalies in postal charges, and the prevention of inconveniences resulting from complicated regulations giving rise to complaints on the part of the public, and trouble to the post offices.

"V. It arranges not only for the interchange of letters at low rates, and of packets of all kinds, including patterns and samples of merchandise, but also of books and newspapers, thus encouraging the wide dissemination of knowledge, the influence of which it is hardly possible to over-estimate.

"VI. It is capable of great development, and, in connexion therewith, arrangements have already been made between many countries of the Union for exchange of international money orders, the transmission of articles of declared value, and the establishment of the parcel post system.

VII. It is almost needless to call attention to the fact that, for many years past, the general tendency of postal reforms throughout the world has been in the direction of those proposed by the Postal Union Treaty, which provides for the extension to all nations of principles previously having only a very limited operation."

11. It may be useful to mention here the rates of postage which, under the advan- Union rates tageous conditions of the Union, are payable for letters posted in Great Britain. The of postage fundamental postage fixed by the Convention for letters passing between countries of the to Colonie Union is 25 centimes per 15 grammes (in England, 24d. per half ounce); but any country is at liberty to add to this fundamental postage a rate not exceeding another 24d. the half ounce for letters incurring the transit rate of 15 francs a kilogramme for conveyance over long distances by sea; and a further sum may be added to cover the special expense of special services such as the accelerated India mail service across France and Italy. Under this scheme letters from Great Britain for various parts of the Union are divided into three categories :*

(1.) Those for Europe, the United States, Canada, Newfoundland, and a few other

places, for which only the fundamental 24d. per half ounce is charged; (2.) Those for places beyond sea, for which an additional 14d. (or 4d. in all) is charged;

and

*The British possessions may be divided into four categories, so far as regards the postage payable on correspondence addressed to them from the mother country; but it may be well to note that the highest postage chargeable for letters to any part of the Empire is 6d. the half ounce.

Three of the above-mentioned categories embrace all the Colonies now included in the Universal Postal Union, and the fourth consists of Colonies still outside the Union.

The variation of postage for Colonies in the Union is explained in paragraph 41.

The portions of the British Empire to which correspondence can be sent for the fundamental Union rates are Canada, Newfoundland, Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus, and Heligoland.

For long sea service the British Post Office does not charge the full 24d. allowed by the Convention, but 1. only, that being the correct equivalent of the Union sea transit rate of 15 francs n kilogramme applicable to the correspondence. The Colonies to which correspondence can be sent at the Union rate of 4d, the half ounce are the West Indies, British Guiana, and Honduras, Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, the West African Colonies, Mauritius, and the Seychelles.

The portions of the Empire to which correspondence is chargeable with the special rate for land service as well as the rate for long sea service, namely, in all 5d. the half ounce, are India, Ceylon, Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and Labuan.

The Colonies which remain outside the Union, and letters for which are chargeable at the rate of 6d. the half ounce, are the Australian Colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia, New Zealand, New Guines, the Fiji Islands, the Cape Colony, Natal, British Bechuanaland, St. Helena, and Ascension. The natural rates of postage to apply to these remaining Colonies on entry into the Union would be 5d. the half ounce for the Australasian group, and 4d. the half ounce for the African group.

It may be worth while to mention that the inland and inter-colonial postage prevalent in the Australian Colonies ia 2d. for a single letter, and that in some cases there is a local town rate of 1d. the single letter.

Similarly in the Cape Colony, the lowest letter postage is a local town rate of 1d., while the inland postage, applicable also to correspondence for Natal, the Orange Free State, the Transvaal, and British Bechuanaland is 2d. the half ounce.

A 51431.

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