The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-12 00:00:00

VENING EDITIO

Ithe cost of mone3-payments on delivery would be at
least one-tenth of a penny, or six times as great.
In the plan here submitted, however, it is proper to ,
remark, that the most economical arrangement as to
stamps, rather than the most convenient, is proposed.
It would certainly facilitate the distribution of stamps
if a greater poundage were allowed on labels, so as to
induce stationers to sell them, and it might be advis-
able to extend the poundage to all descriptions of
stamps. These steps, however, need not be taken in
the first instance. I would advise the adoption in the
first place of the plan here laid down—there will be
no difficulty in increasing and extending the poundage,
if it be found expedient so to do—such a step wcrulti
be pro tanto a still further reduction of postage , at
least as respects all who would purchase their stamps.
in large numbers. And it is manifest that the poundage
might be advanced to any amount not exceeding 9 per
cent. on the average of all stamps, without making ,
them equally expensive, as a mode of collecting postage,
with money payments, as shown by the table.
It may be necessary to add, that although I strongly
recommend the use of stamps, I still adhere to the opi-
nion expressed in my evidence, that as a temporary
measures (to be got rid of as soon as the transaction
from the old to the new system shall have been com-
pleted—say at the end of three or six months), an op-
tion must be allowed the sender of the letter to frank it
by means of a stamp, or to leave the postage to be col-
lected on delivery, making such postage 2d. per lbalf-
ounce instead of Id., that is, double the price of stat ups,
in order to indemnify the Post-office fortbe expensive
machinery it would be necessary to retain.
ROWLAND HILL.
Bayswater, June 13, 1839.

APPENDIX (A).
ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF STAMPED LABELS.

Mr. Dickenson has offered to contract to supply 12
half-sheets of letter-paper for covers, printed with a
large stamp, for one penny, paying half the paper-duty.
(Ev. 2,408-44.) But in order to put the trade on a
footing of perfect equality, 1 would recommend that the
full duty be paid, in which case 11 half-sheets might be
supplied for Id. d.

These 11 half-sheets to measure about 730
square inches, consequently they would make 730
labels of one inch square. But as the cost of print-
ing labels would be greater than that of printing
covers, sheet for sheet, and as a glutinous wash
would be required at the back, say 300 labels (in-
stead of 720) would cost Id., then 1,000 would
cost . . 31

The weight of 1,000 labels made of thin paper
would be about one ounce, therefore their distribu-
tion through the Post-office would be charged 2d. ;
say the cost to the State would be one-half . I

Allow for expenses at the Stamp-office in making
up parcels, keeping the accounts, &c. . 2-3

Total cost of 1,000 labels including the distribution 5
Or, per letter, 1-200th part of a penny.
APPENDIX (B).

ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF COLLECTING POSTAGE BY
MONEY PAYMENTS AS AT PRESENT.

At page 13 of the notes to the report, the pre-
sent average cost of distributing a chargeable letter
is shown to be 76 hundredths of a penny, of which
cost of the transit is about one-fourth, or 19-hun-
dreds of a penny, and the cost of receipt and de-
livery about three-fourths, or 57-hundredths of a
.
penny . .57
If the number of letters were increased fivefold,
and a uniform rate of postage established, the cost
of the receipt and delivery of each letter would !in-
doubtedly be reduced, even though the postage
were collected as at present ; say the cost would
then be only three-tenths of a penny . - .3
For our present purpose, it is necessary to deter-
mine what portion of this cost would result from
the collection of the postage by money payments as
at present. There are no data for deciding this
with accuracy, but, considering the cost of keeping
the accounts and of checking the payments and the
delay in receiving money at each door, we should
probably not over-estimate the portion at one-half,
or 15-hundredths of a penny, but say its only one-
third, and it follows that— . •
The cost of collecting postage by money-payments
as at present, would be per letter . .1
or one-tenth of a penny.