Weekly Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-25
WORLDWIDE
PENNY POSTAGE
made Possible by Recent Robust,
constructive Republican
Policy.
convention Between America and
England in Effect Oct. Its
Blessings to Foreign
Born Citizens.
ORDER No 1861

~ LooldL administration OF Grea
britain having concurred therein:
II Is hereby ordered, That, commend
ing on the 1st day of October. 1905
th' postage rate applicable to letter
mailed In United States. addressed 70
dellVery at any place In the UniteC
hlngdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Shall be two (2) cents an ounce or frac
ton Of an ounce.
Letters unpaid or short paid shall bt
dispatched to destination, but double
me deficient postage, calculated at saia
rate, shall be coIlectible of the ad
dresSees upon the delivery of the un
pald or short paid letters
G. V. L. MEYER,
Postmaster General.
Behind this simple statement is a
vast amount Of Republican construc
tive legislation which resulted III the
slgnlhcant accomplishment, set forth
by the Postmaster General. 1t is elo-
quentIy prophetic of a worldwide pen
NY postage, for which the credit will be
due to Republican administration.
Sixth Universal Postal Congress.
The Sixth Universal Postal Congress
convened in the city of Rome, Italy
April and continued until May 26
1906. Sixty-fiye countries, including the
United States, were represented. The
assembly was for the purpose of dis
cussing the postal systems of all nations
ana, If possible, agreeing upon measures
for the Improvement in all practical
ways, of the regulations governing In
ternational intercourse through the
mails. The first congress of this kind
met in Berae, Switzerland, in 1874.
The United States Postoffice Depart
ment was represented In this World
Postal Congress by two delegates-the
Superintendent of Division of Foreign
Mails, as In previous postal congresses,
and the Hon. Edward Rosewater of the
Omaha Bee, who had also served IN the
preceding postal congress.
Move for Universal Penny Postage.
At this Universal Postal Congress
representatives of the United States
proposed a universal two-cent postage
to all nations. The Hon. J. Henniker
Heaton, Nj. F., who is the father of the
two-cent idea in England, speaking of
Americas action at the Rome conven-
tion, in standing out for a universal
two-cent postal rate, said:
'"The British members stood coldly
by. They did not recognize that this
was great historic occasion, a worthy
parallel of that solemn scene on July
4, 1916, when the Declaration of Inde-
pendence was adopted; for If the
Americans are willing to adopt penny
postage to all parts of the world, it fol
lows that they are willing to establish
1t to the British Empire and form with
us Restrictive Postal Union.'"
The Hon. Whitelaw Reid, Americas 8
Republican minister to the Court of st.
James, praised the work of the Ameri-
can delegation and solicited the friendly
cooperation of the British government
at Fourth of July banquet speech in
London in 1906. Mr.. Reid said:
''rhe American people hoped for
closer and cheaper communications
with all other cations as the best means
of promoting better acquaintance and
perpetuating friendship. They were
gratified to find that the British apostle
Of penny postage (Mr. Heaton) at this
moment focusing his efforts on what
ought to be the easy task of persuad-
ing the authorities on both sides of the
Atlantic, that it was as cheap to carry
letter from London to New York as
from London to Calcutta: or from New
York TO Manila-and quite as useful"
American Republicans Lead the Way
SO it has come to pass that the Unit
ed States, under its Republican admin
istration, has finally succeeded in en-
tering into a convention with Great
Britain whereby after the 1st of Octo-
Der this year, twO-cent postage ra te
will obtain between this country and
England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
We already have such an ARRANGEMENT
with Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Panama
and our colonial possessions. This great
accomplishment is universally recog-
nized as the proper beginning which is
to result in a universal two-cent postage
rate around the world.
Important Things Accomplished.
Two other important things that the
Republican administration accomplish
ed at the Rome Universal Postal Con-
gress through its representatives, must
not be lost sight of. One was the adop-
tion Of universal return coupon
stamp, in exchange for which. upon IFS
presentation at a postoffice in another
country, the person presenting it shall
receive postage stamp of the value of
s cents, good in any country of the
world, thus enabling people here. to
prepay postage at regular rates upon
reply letters
The other significant concession was
that In all World Postal Congresses TO
be held in the future, the United States
is to be granted an additional vote, in