The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-12-07

4 VALUED subscriber and occasional correspond
ent, a former resident Of Honolulu but now hail
ing from Wall street, New York, asks the follow
ing questions in a recent letter:
DO you know that we have to pay two cents
postage Al this end on every copy Of the ADvEE-
TIsER received! Not two cents for every four
ounces, according "a the postal regulations. (and
for each paper. Not a very severe tax. but do y"u
understand il 50, or are you supposed 10 settle
through postage at your end"
We will endeaYor briefly to set our correspond
ent right as to this matter Of newspaper postal
regulations between the Hawaiian Kingdom and
the United States, wherein he, aud doubtless
many others of our foreign subscribers are under
a Misrepresentation. The existing Postal Conven-
ton was negotiated between j. a. J. CressweIl,
Postmaster General of the United States, and
Elisha ii. Allen, ii. II. NJ. s Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister PleniPotentiary at Washington, and
approved by the President, May 5, 1870. The
clause respecting postage on newspapers, reads as
follows:
"Tne United States Office shall levy and collect
on newspapers (whether transient or sent to reg
ular subscribers) addressed to or received from
the Hawaiian Kingdom, the established rates of
United States domestic postage and upon all arti-
cles Of printed matter, except newspapers. ad-
uEcr.tu 10 IT EtGflNtu lTOm tie 1dHdBlu luRlOm
q postage charge Of four cents per each weight of
four ounces or fraction Of four ounces.
THE Hawaiian POst-Ofiee shall levy and collect
on newspapers and other articles Of printed mat
ter. addressed to or received from the United States.
the regular rates OF postage chaTgeable thereon by
the laws or regulations Of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Thus our patrons residing abroad will perceive
by 8 settling the postage at this end" we should
be called upon to pay $2.OS u cents to each gov
ernment) for each copy of the ADVERTISER mailed
to the United States, and as our subscription
price to foreign subscribers is 81, we should act
ually be furnishing our paper to them for 1892
per annum, or $l.OS less than we charge Island
subscribers. Moreover, it must be remembered
that we are not supposed tn have United States
postage stamps in this country, with which to
prepay our newspapers, and by the express terms
Of the Convention, no accounts are kept between
the two countries.
Bat the Convention provides for the levy and
collection on newspapers, whether transient or
sent to regular subscribers, the established rates
of United States domestic postage. This estab-
lished rate, as stated by our correspondent, is two
cents for every four ounces. How then docs the
New York POst-ofiee demand two cents for every
paper? The established rate would be less tlan
three fourths OF a cent, or thirty-fve cents per
annum.
There is something to us yet unexplained about
this newspaper postage, for while our subscribers
are compelled to pay the extra postage as above
stated, a gentleman now in this city and who re-
ccntly returned from New York, informs US that
he was distinctly told Mt the Post-offce in that
city, that there was no additional postage to pay
by him on our paper forwarded hence, which bore
the Hawaiian stamp.
Our Government, in the negotiation Of the Con-
%vention, as is generally the case in bargains be-
tween the rich and the poor, was compelled to
take what it could get. Every effort was made,
as we are well assured, by our Representative at
Washington to obtain a modification of the above
terms, but in vain, and it wasmoreover made pretty
apparent that if the arrangement was not accept
able in its present form, we were at liberty to
drop the subject. In other words, it was that or
none.