New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03
INTERNATIONAL PENNY POSTAGE

A movement has been in progress for several
years past to reduce the rate of postage be-
tween Great Britain and her colonies to ono
penny, and eventually to lower ais the rates
between many Of the countries comprised in
the Postal Union but more especially between
Great Britain and the United States. There
can be little doubt that such a reform will come
about in time, and its introduction into the
postal relations Of Great Britain and her many
distant colonies would have powerful infiu-
ence in stimulating it. Mr.. j. Henniker
Heaton, member of Parliament for Canterbury,
who has been bombarding the British Gov
eminent with appeals and speeches upon this
subject for some years, came TO this country
with view to bringing about, so far as I'M
official action can, penny postage between this
country and Great Britain The idea, in the
abstract, is undoubtedly a good one, and must
eventually prevail But there are several rea-
sons why it is not likely to be accepted by this
country for some time TO come.
The chief of these is the fact that we have
in view reduction in the domestic rates Of
postage which is of Importance TO the entire
population, whereas a lowering Of the rates Of
ocean postage would benefit only class Tho
next great postal reform for which the people
of the United States look is the adoption Of ono
cent as the uniform rate throughout the entire
country. When this time comes they will be
still better able than now to claim the cheap
est postal service in the world; and, consider
ing the extent of territory to be covered and
the difficulty and expense of q considerable
proportion Of the service, it is not easy to
imagine that any more remarkable example
of cheap postage will be afforded anywhere, at
least until the world is considerably older than
it is now. II the deficiency in the revenues Of
the Post Office Department shall continue to
diminish at its present rapid rate it will not be
long before this point is reached.
This question, as to when the deficiency will
become small enough to enable us to feel that
we can reduce the postal rates again. brings to
view the siDgula: difference between the the
cries of the British and American Governments
respecting this service. In America the ad-
vanced view is that the Government should not
take much account Of deficiencies; that IL
should furnish cheap and good service and
be content so long as the deficiency is not
seriously felt. The conservative view is that
the service should be self-supporting. No one
ever ventures to advance the opinion that the
Government should make a profit on the bust
ness, and the discovery that ii has done so is
promptly followed by reduction Of rates. By
Great Britain, however, this form of revenue
seems to be regarded as legitimate taxation
There is no discussion Of deficiencies, because
the department pays an annual profit Of nearly
SIS, 600, OOc. IL is enabled to do this by rea-
son Of the compactness Of large population
within the small territory Of the United King
dom. The service is easy, and the revenue
great But, cufiously enough, instead Of sac
niicing some part of the surplus il need be, to
give the colonies cheap postage, this annual
profit is defended against all attack, in the ira
ditonal British manner, as If it had some sacred
character, and the report Of one of Mr.. Heaton's
speeches in the House Of Commons shows that
when he declared that the Government should
not make money out Of the postal service, he
half apologized for putting forward PROPOSE
ton which he admitted might seem TO tho
fnanciers of the House somewhat startling.v
Meantime, while making this great profit, the
British Government charges sixpence TO carry
half-ounce letter TO Australia, or at the rate
Of SO, $50 a ton. Other colonial rates are in
proportion, so that it is a common thing for
British merchants to send their mail matter to