Evening star., 1897-04-27
How the Universal Postal System
Was Extended.
II WILL SOON COVER THE EARTH
The Fifth Congress to Meet Here
Next Week.
AN AMERICAN PROF ECT

the peoples OF the world. AT that meeting
Corea. the Orange Free State and China
will be brought into the union, and then.
for the first time in the history Of nations.
every independent government on the globe
will be bound together for the enforce
ment of a single treaty.
Men who are farsighted and who have
studied the effect of one people upon anoth-
er when brought into close contact, declar
their belief that this movement. looking 20
the rapid and cheap transportation of the
mails, will have potent influence upon. the
commercial. political and social history of
the world. They say that increased mail
facilities will encourage commerce; that
they will tend to laake the people Of var
1ouS nations better acquai inted with the
practical operation Of other forms of gov
ernmeht. and SO spread the desirable fea-
lures OF each. while ii will be possible fer
families and friends widespread in the pur-
suit of their business interests to continue
close intimacy by the frequent exchange
of letters.
Suggested by the United States.
The United States may well feel proud of
the part it has played in making possible
this universal treaty. Tue suggestion of
such treaty was mads by an official of
this government, and twill be in its capi-
tai that the idea will be fully realized
In talking to Star reporter today, N NJ
BROOKS, superintendent of foreign mails,
related the story of the growth of the pos
tai union. and spoke of some of the impor-
tant results that had thus far been accom-
plished by it.
The history of the universal postal
union, ne said, extends over thirty
five years. At the commencement Of
that period eight separate postal con-
vent1ons were III operation between the
onited states and as many separate foreign
~ -1n..
visions Of those conventions or treaties
me postal rates applicable in the United
States to articles destined for foreign conn
tries were fixed. the accounts were kept
ana adjusted and all the postage collected
upon articles between any two countries
in proportions fixed by the conventions
How Rates Were Fixed.
The postage rates chargeable in either
country were, as a rule. fixed by adding
to the domestic rate of the country in
which an article was mailed the rate paid
for its sea conveyance, the rate charged
by each country through which the article
passed iE transit, and, finally the domestic
rate of the country in which the article
vas delivered. The rate charged for the
sea conveyance. or sea postage as it was
called, varied according to the route ira
NefSeu and the nationality of the vessels
performing the sea conveyance. Where
several routes were open for the transmits
sion of the mails for the same country
the rate to be charged upon a letter for
that country would depend upon the route
1t was to follow. If it were not properly
repaid to be forwarded by the first steam
er. it might be held until an opportunity
occurred for it's dispatch by the route for
which 1t was prepaid, or it might be dis
patched subject to an additional charge on
delivery. A letter for Australia, for in
stance. could be sent by either of six routes
and the postage per half ounce would be
8. 80. 40 55 or GO cents or $1.O2, according
to the route traversed. For Austria three
routes were open. There were five differ
ent routes for letters to reach Greece
Turkey. Egypt and Hong Kong. Four routes
were used for Germany and Switzerland
Denmark. Holland. Sweden and Norway
were each reached by three different
routes. while Canada and Mexico each had
two routes.
Troublesome System.
'This system was great annoyance to
persons having correspondence in foreign
countries. and it required the keeping by
each government. of a system of very COM
plicated accounts. especially SO because the
accounts were kept by the standard weight
of the creditor country. This was the con-
dition found by Postmaster General Blair
when on August 4. 1862 he addressed a
letter to the Secretary of State requesting
him to invite conference of the postal au-
thorities of Europe and America to meet
at time and place to he selected by them
to recommend to their governments the
adoption in international postal re,a tions
of a uniform standard of weight. uniform
ity of rates and conditions, a uniform basis
for sea and land transit charges and, If
practicable, uniform registration and mon
ed order systems.
Accepted the Invitation,
This Invitation was accepted by the gov
ernments addressed, and resulted in a con-
NJ in, pov vfC
1868. and was attended by leading postal
officials of Austria, Belgium Costa Rica,
Denmark. Spain. the United States. France
Great Britain. Italy, the Netherlands,
Portugal. Prussia. the Sandwich Islands
Switzerland and the Hanseatic cities. The
conference agreed to recommend uniform
system of weights (tne metric system) ard
large number Of desirable features for a.
universal postal system, the commissioners
not teing empowered to commit their gov
ernn ents. During the year 1864 corre-
spondence was commenced by the Post Of
flee Department with several of the coun-
tries represented at the Paris conference
with a view of negotiating new postal con-
veEttons with those countries, with the re-
suit OF success in many instances.
Practical Results.
Before the expiration Of ten years from
the Paris conference, thirty-four cents was
the highest foreign letter rate charged in
the United States instead of s1.02 in lS63
In the place Of three rates to Austria, the
highest being forty-two cents. there were
only two rates. Of six and seven cents.
Instead of six rates for Australia the high
est being $1.O2, there were only two rates.
of sixteen and twenty-five cents. and q like
improvement was shown in the rates to
other countries.
Universal Union Proposed.
with these improvements the idea of
universal postal union developed naturally.
No one seemed surprised when Germany
proposed, in 1869, the convening of a con-
g1ess for the purpose of negotiating a gen.
eral postal treaty among the great powers.
The congress assembled in September 1874,
in Berne, Switzerland, with representatives
from twenty-five countries and colonies,
including the United States, whose repre-
sentative, the late Joseph H. Blackfan
then superintendent of foreign mails Of
the Post ONCE Department. was well
coined to the congress by It's president
with the statement that 1t was the United
States which, in 1863. took the Initiative in
the postal reforms pointed out by the con-
ference Of Paris. and which the congress
of Berne was about to attempt to put into
practical operation by means Of general
treaty, binding upon all participating ma
tions.
The First General Treaty.
ION October Q. 1874, the first treaty con-