The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-06


postal congress met today in the grea
hall of the art gallery.
About - counties were represented
Korea, China and Orange Free State
which are outside the pale of the union
had delegates present. Postmaster
General Gary delivered the address o
welcome. 1t is expected that the wori
of the congress will extend over abou
six weeks.
Most of the work will be transacted
by committees, which will submit the
result of their laborS to the congress
about once week The present posta
agreement will be revised and re-
newed Several important questions
will be considered, among them d
proposition to transmit the official mail
of the countries members of the union
free of charge. The question of in
creasing the unit of weight to be car
ried under a scent stamp from hall
an ounce to three-forths of an ounce;
also a proposition for a universal
| stamp.
The hall presented brilliant appear
ance when General Bachelor, the
premier delegate of the United States,
called the congress to order at II
o'clock. The delegates were attired In
dress suits, or full court costume, their
breasts bespangled with glittering en-
signs and enamelled orders. The ORR
entail delegates were very picturesque
! in their silken robes. The Korean wore
| his box-like headgear and the Turk
; his red fez.
The decorations of the hall were
lavish. The walls were rich with gor-
geous tapestry and shone with coats
of arms.
The prevailing colors were gold and
crimson. The sessions of the congress
were held behind closed doors. POST
master-General Gary, Assistant POST
master-General Heath, General Baton
eller and Captain Brooks did the hon
ors. Postmaster-General Gary in the
address of welcome said:
I'VE want to afford you an object
lesson of the marvellous growth of
communities found mainly during the
past century which support a postal
system comprising more than 10000 Of
fees and 100000 employees, supplying
mails for and dispatching them over
10000 miles of railroad. 1900 miles of
steamboat service and by other minor
routes of service, aggregating in all
over 100000 miles of post routes and in
the year 1896 handling a total of $685.
1853 pieces of mail matter
1T is quite appropriate that this. the
fifth congress of the international
Postal union, should be held in the
United States and at the capital of
our nation, for it was here that the
suggestion creating this body origin
ated.
"Postmaster-Genera Blair on Aug
4, 1852 in a communication addressed
to Mr.. Seward, then secretary of state,
proposed an international conference
of postal delegates to recommend
measures looking to the revision, sim
plification and uniformity of interna-
tional postal arrangements; and the
department of state submitted the
Great. Britain, France, Prussia, Swe-
den, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy
and Ecuador.
Favorable responses were received
from all the governments named. and
at Paris on the second Monday of the
following May The first international
conference assembled.
Out of this idea of an international
conference grew the larger idea of a
permanent universal postal union, and
the first congress of this union met in
the hall of the national senate of
Switzerland in September, 1874. The
treaty creating this union went into
effect on the 1st of July, 1875.
1.-The Universal Postal union is young
in years, but phenomenal in successes
and achievements. 1t is the out
growth of separate treaties between
different national organizations COM
pact in essential respect from others.
THE founders of the institution are
fast passing away. Only a few re-
main on this side of the boundaries
of time who have personal recollec-
lions of it's Inauguration, and soon
there will be left only the scattered
and incomplete records of the different
administrations to tell the story of
how one of the grandest projects of
the country was conceived and born.
Some important questions will be
brought to your attention which are
not likely to be decided by unanimous
votes if some powerful governments
will propose notifications of the treaty
of Vienna relating to the reduction of
transient rates. Others perhaps will
ask TO have such rates abolished. The
question of reducing the rates of in
postage will come before
you. To the consideration of these
grave propositions I invite your care
full attention, confident that your de- |
cision thereon as well as other subjects |
will be wise and profitable for all the |
countries concerned.
Again welcoming you to this capt. |
tai. wishing for each of you pleasant |
sojourn among US and a safe return |
profitable session, / declare the fifth |
congress of the Universal Postal union |
opened, and ask you to organize by |
a president to conduct
your deliberations"
Mr. Camille de Lessert, director for |
Lausanne. Switzerland, the dean of the |
union. followed the postmaster general /
with a brief address. He proposed Cen
eral G. S. Batcheller,> the oldest of the
United States delegates, as president of
he congress. and he was unanimously
chosen.
General Batcheller made a fitting re-
;ponse in French.
Mr.. lFritch. director of the department
If posts for Germany, delivered an eulogy
If Dr. Won Stephan and Mr.. Neubauer
his colleagues remarks
Mr.. Hohen, director of the postal union
# Berre. was chosen president of the
Mr.. II. Cali. sub-director: Mr.
\. Vending, first secretary. and Mr..
Srain. second secretary. On the part of
he United States. Colonel Chaille-Long
vas chosen first secretary; Robert Stock
veil Hatcher. second secretary, and w. |
\. Brown. third secretary-
NJ Assault administrator of mails
nd telegraphs of France. on behalf of
he congress made a brief address in
ulogy Of the president of the United
states. and of the generous hospitality
attended to the congress by the Amerl-
an government. An elaborate luncheon
vas served at the conclusion of the pre-
exercises. In the afternoon the
hree committees which will have charge
f the detailed work of the congress We're
DDointed. after which the congress adj
burned to meet at the call of the presi-
ent. who VIII assemble the delegates
$ soon as one of the committees is ready
o report. The general committee on
rays and means IS composed of the del
gates from "a countries
Mr.. Waloole. one of the British dele
ates. was chosen president of this com
littee. Mr.. Seyastianof of Russia vice
resident and Mr. Sterfin of Belgium.
secretary. The Committed on |