PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference:-
8855
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
"
62
borne by India and the Colonies in maintaining these lines. In a few cases the actual payments have been obtained from Colonial records, after allowing for all receipts in the nature of postage, and the word “net' is printed against them; in other cases the figures represent the amount of subsidy named in the contracts, or by agreement refunded to the Imperial Government.
Australasia
Line.
Home Govern-
Tent.
Colonies.
India and China
£ 219,000
India.
£ 68,000
Ceylon
1,400
Straits Settlements
6,000
Hong Kong
6,000
Labuan
New South Wales
17,945 not
(all routes).
16,600 New Zealand
7,180
"
Queensland
12,706
""
South Australia
3,486
"
Victoria
38,836
#
•
Western Australia
3,177
19
•
Tasmania -
Not known
Fiji.
Mauritius
Nil
Mauritius -
10,725
South Africa
Nil
Cape.
Nil
Natal.
St. Helena
2,774
Ascension
1,796
Nil
West Indies (including
19,140
British Guiana).
Colonies collectively,
1886.
22,360
Belize and New Orleans
1,540
British Honduras
4,000
New York and Bermuda -
Nil
Bermuda.
Bahamas
Nil
Baliamas
Canada
Nil
Canada.
Newfoundland
Nil
Newfoundland.
(Gold Coast.
West Africa
3,000
Sierra Leone.
Gambia -
1,200
Mediterranean
Nil
Gibraltar.
Nil
Nil
Malta
4,000
Nil
Cyprus
-
Nil
Nil
Falkland Islands
1,800
Falkland Islands
• Imperial loss upon Brindisi route is included with India and China. Including United States J and Transit rate.
3,700
63
Rates of Postage,
The cost of newspapers and packets is omitted, as the rate for letters is the chief matter under this head. The present rates for half-ounce letters are :—
Canada, Newfoundland, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Malta Bahamas, Bermuda, British Honduras, Mauritius, Falkland Islands,
West Africa, West Indies
India, Eastern Colonies, China
Hong Kong via San Francisco
Australasia, Fiji, South Africa, St. Helena
Imperial Penny Postage.
-
2}d,
Ad.
5d.
4d.
6d.
3333
Mr. Henniker Heaton, M.P. for Canterbury, has addressed to the Postmaster General a proposal that the ordinary postal rate for the carriage of a letter between any two parts of the British Empire should be one penny (see the annexed Parliamentary Paper).* The argument, briefly stated, is: (1) That the freight of a ton of letters at one penny per half-ounce would be so much in excess of the rates of freight for merchandize that the steamship owners would be well paid at the reduced rate; (2) That the high subsidies now paid are given for the benefit of commerce and of the general administration of the country, and not purely as a Post Office transaction; and he instances the German and French Governments, which pay large subsidies but charge only Union rates of postage.
+
A further letter from Mr. Henniker Heaton is also annexed, with the official reply of the Postmaster General, and a summary of Mr. Henniker Heaton's rejoinder.
It is estimated by the General Post Office that such reduction of postage would at once entail upon the Imperial and Colonial revenues an annual loss about 360,000l., in addition to the sums already mentioned. These figures would of course be diminished by any increase of net receipts caused by the growth of correspondence at the lower rate of postage. This growth would doubtless be considerable, but cannot be estimated with certainty, and the question which the Conference is asked to consider is, how far India and the Colonies which they represent would, in their opinion, be ready to vote money to make up the present loss that would follow upon such a reduction of postage, in view of the prospective gain from an increase of correspondence, and from a growth of trade resulting therefrom?
Her Majesty's Government have not as yet seriously considered the results of the proposal; which, however taking it may be at first sight, contains many and great difficulties of detail, owing to the complicated and diversified nature of the postal communications between the Mother Country and the different Colonies, passing in many cases through Foreign Countries.
ROUTES FOR COLONIAL MAILS. Lines Projected.
In addition to the lines now existing, the Dominion of Canada is understood to contemplate subsidising an accelerated service between Halifax and England; and the Canadian Government have applied to the Imperial Government to subsidise a line of steamers between British Columbia and Hong Kong; a line connecting British Columbia with Australia has also been spoken of, but it is not known how far these projects are likely to be carried out.
Foreign Lines.
It should also be stated that mails are sent to India, the Eastern Colonies, China, and the Australasian Colonies by steamers of the French Messageries Maritimes Company and by steamers of the North German Lloyd; the postage by these steamers is the same per half-ounce letter as by the British Mails. The French line serves Mauritius on the passage to or from Australasia.
Canada.
The mails for Canada direct are carried to Halifax in the winter and to Rimonski in the summer, and are brought home in the same way by the steamers of the Allan Line. Mails are also exchanged between this country and Canada via New York by each contract packet outwards, and by most of the inward packets.
* See H. C. 34 of February 1887.
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