The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-24
RRITISH POSTAL IDEAS.
The Plan for Penny Postage Throughou
the Whole Empire.

There are two living Englishmen, j. Hen
mixer Heaton, member Of parliament Tor
Canterbury, and j. ID. Rich, postmaster
AT Liverpool each OF whom furnishes
an excellent Illustration of the man Oh
AFFAIRS striving honestly TO serve lhe
public. Both OF these men are idenuhed
with postal reform. a subject Oh interest
10 every person because the Iost-ohiOs
is peculiarly a domestic institution ana
comes home closer TO the people IMAM any
other department OF the government
For several years Mr.. Heaton has been
urging the British Government to adopt
system Of imperial penny postage, that -
TO say, he would make the empire single
pcstal district, when penny stamp Woulu
f-ank a letter. not merely from street 10
street. or country 70 country, out from
one end Of the Queens dominions 10 Tue
other-from Calcutta TO vancouver from
Edinburgh 10 sydney This scheme Is III
teresting 10 the people OF TINS CouhIs'
because Mr.. HeatOn has lately Included III
n tho United States Some of his English
critics have objected TO this part OF tue
program. They say that by admitting
n foreign country TO the benefits OF tce
reform its value end efficacy are affected
as a means of binding the various parts
OF the Empire together. Mr. Heaton an
swers that this intention IS iallacy' thdt
as each country keeps its own postage ll
would be open to our government 10 MAIN
tain the present rate even after IL had
been reduced for the British Empire
The reform, he contends, would certainly
crafty the large number OF emlSrahts
from the British Isles who have come 10
this country, especially the irish, VINO are
numbered by the millions and who carry
on a large correspondence with their rel
.fg fr, he
Every year 100000 persons I'm the United
states send over a sum Of NDoVO IN
small postal orders TO their friends In
the United Kingdom.
Mr.. Heaton modestly says that this Is
not his scheme" IL Is simply the nat
ural extension OF Rowland HilPs plan OF
penny postage and is made necessary by
the growth and extent Of civilization.
From estimates he has made he has SHOWN
that a penny postage rate, 10 me very
ends OF the earth, would yield profit %
the British Government. He urges that
the Queens Empire IS not compact
mass of States, but large number or
communities scattered over both heni-
spheres, and includes some 3JO,WOUO OF the
human race lie compares il 10 the Dutch
and Spanish Empires, which fell to pieces
for want OF a cohesive force. cheap
postal and telegraphic communication
viii bind the members OF these communi-
ties together. The commercial interests
of the colonies will be benefited by re-
duction Of the present rate, which Is n
tax on the merchant. Mr.. Heaton says
he can understand the State charging a
tax Of six pence on ton OF coal actually
sold, but he cannot understand tax or six
pence i'm the shape OF postage on the letter
as lending TO that business transaction.
He believes that the State should encour-
age by moderate contribution those
operations Of commerce in the initial
stage which ultimately furnish work TO
English workers. and thus benefit the
entire community. Every year 10000 emf
grants leave the British Isles TO develop
the Colonial Empire Their works result
in the creation OF new markets for British
goods. Each emlgrant leaves behind him
sevral friends keenly interested in his
welfare. All these people would feel the
benefit OF the penny postal rate.
About eight years ago Mr. Heaton
stat ted out with a program OF sixty sep
arate postal reforms. he has won more