The evening times., 1899-09-20
Lansburgh
Furniture Co. ,
I22o F Street N. w.
PIeEoNGRAMs m NEW ZEALAND
4 Unique Branch of the Postal Ser
vice in the Islands.
m the PhiIadeIphia Ledser.l

wee IN the
From the PhiIadelphia LedserI
The New Zealand Government has re-
Gently adopted novel but thoroughly sue
from one island to another by
means OF homing pigeons. Through
the strenuous efforts of the cii-
zens of New ZeaIand. and from its knowl-
edge of the successful transportation of
messages by the pigeon route, the Govern
ment finally decided to make investigation
and report upon the adyisability of its
permanency as a Government institution
by establishing a pigeon" post between
Auckland and Great Barrier Island A pew
word necessary in the philatelie glossary
has been coined by the advocates OF the
new system yclspt "pigeongram, and the
same has been adopted by the New Zea-
land Government.
Great Barrier Island is a portion of the
Great Barrier reef opposite Auckland. and
situated thirty miles therefrom. Messages
have been sent to and from Auckland for
some years past by private individuals
with SO much success that the attention
of the Government was attracted to its
practical utility, finally resulting in an
appropriation being set apart exclusively
for the purpose Of testing the system be-
fore establishing regular postal deiiv-
The first difficulty lay in obtaining. COM
plete control and ultimate possession of
the birds used. This was. however, cas-
lily accomplished by the Government agree
ing to pay the owner a large proportion
of the postage to be charged. Follow
ing this the Postmaster General authorized
the issuance of SOC special ''pigeongram"
stamps as trial issue, one of which was
to be used on each message sent These
purchased and Cancelled at the two post
offices in the usual manner.
The message is written in lead pencil on
thin but tough tissue paper. the stamp is
placed on the centre and then cancelled.
The message is folded up into a small
compass, tied under the wing Of a bird and
in an hour is in the hands of the person TO
whom it Is addressed.
The remarkable celebrity with which these
I "pigeongrams' are received and delivered
and the simplicity of the whole operation
makes one wonder why similar means OF
communication between the different isl
ands of groups such as the Hawaiian
group, the Antilles, or the Philippines have
not been adopted by each Government. In
Hawaii there have been some futile at
temps at it, but If placed under Govern
ment protection and conducted through the
business channels Of the postoffice a
.pfgeongram service ought to be as sue
cessfuf in these different groups as in New
Zealand. If the Auckland postoffce au-
thorities can send a pigeongram for cGs
shilling across an expanse OF thirty miles
at less rate than the telegraph companies
charge for ten-word message, the eff
cheney of the proposition ought to appeal
to the pcstofliee authorities as a cheap YET
swift system.
The New ZeaIanders are loud in their
praises of this branch of their postal and
telegraphic systems, and even go 50 far
as to Intimate that Marconfs system Of
wireless telegraphy has not half the adTaa :
tagss their own peculiar "pigeangFaEi-
! wireless telegraphy.'