The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1881-04-13
6rnrraL .2Herrllandise.
Report Of COMMITTEES on Postal Convention.
HoSo1U1u, April 9Th. 1881.

HoSoLULU, April 9th, 1881.
His Ezcellency H. A. P. Carter, Minister of the
Interior:
Sm:-we, the undersigned, having been APP
pointed by you to examine the advisabillty OF the
Hawaiian Kingdom entering the Universal Postal
Union, beg to report as follows;
We have met on several occasions and have
made ourselves acquainted, as far as lay IN our
power, with the details of the system. We have
read a number Of communications made by MIR.
Martin, the Hawaiian representative at Paris,
upon the subject. We find that the matter has
been under discussion for several years, and that
the Government have accumulated considerable
quantity Of information Upon the subject. We
regret that the information, or a resume OF 1t has
not been made public long ago, so that the COM
munity at large may have been able to become
acquainted with the general outline of the system.
The question practically resolves itself into one
of expense,-can the country afford to enter this
Union On examination we think 1t cam We
think that the loss of postal revenue, II any, VIII
be very slight and that the gain to our citizens IN
convenience will be very large. At the present
time our Post Office collects upon all outward
bound letters cents per = ounce and upon
all NEWSPAPERS l cent each. 1t has to pay the
carriage of all mails shipped on sal,hg VeSseiS
both ways, and has also to pay subsidy OF SI,0V9
q month to the steam line which connects US with
San Francisco. If we enter the Postal Union our
expenses for sending letters to the coast VIII not
be any greater than they are at present, and our
expenses for bringing letters down Will be nothing
for the United States will then be bound to for
ward our letters here free of charge At the pres
ent time, also, every individual IN p Ine
pays 5 cents additional per half ounce to
the postal revenue Of the United States
for forwarding his letters thither. Were we
to enter the Postal Union, this charge would
no longer wholly 90 into the revenue of the United
States Post Office, but would partly accrue to our
own Government.
We would suggest that on entering the Postal
Union n reduction should be made of our postal
charges in the following manner, taking letters as
our example only: We may say here that 1t Is to
be regretted that the postal authorities IN tnis
country have no statistics as TO the ieeght OF let
ters originating from their Office, and absolutely
no statistics whatever either upon the weight or
number of newspapers that pass through their
hands.
limited States to cents per 4 ounce, by which
there would be a loss of 1 cent TO our Post Othce,
as at present charged, while we would suggest the
change of the rate ON letters to countries beyond
fine United States to cents by which gain of
cents would come to the Post Office, and of cents
TO the sender; though this gain to the Govern
ment is more apparent than real, as the difference
would be absorbed in the surtax and other charges
of placing said letters at their respective destin-
atoms. We find that during the last bl-enmal
period 1888 letters were dispatched from our
Post Office II is estimated that three-fourths OF
these 60 no farther than the United States; upon
these would be a loss of / cent each, or say
$50: mon the remaining fourth there would be
n gain TO the Post Office of cents each, say, S56U
or altogether a net loss of revenue OF SOU. we
shall also have some extra charges to pay upon
letters crossing the American continent and At
lantic ocean for European countries these now
ever. AT the highest figuring will not reach over
cents per letter of = ounce, and perhaps not so
mnch. No amount of revenue-to speak of can
he expected from second and third class matter as
the rate of 2 cents per ounces or part VIII be
ahont absorbed by the expense of transit.
The accompanying table of rates will show the
charges suggested for the respective classes of
mail matter to its several Postal Union destin-
ations;