Evening star., 1913-12-05

countries in the world in postal matters
is Germany. 1t was here that the parcel
post system had it's origin, and that
many another innovation in the art OF
promoting the interchange of correspond
ence and merchandise had its inception
Here the government will act even as
bill collector for sums up to about SO
Suppose. for instance, a tradeSman in
Berlin has a bill for a hundred dollars
against a citizen of Potsdam. He goes
TO the post office, signs receipt turns
il over to the postal authorities, and they
transmit Il to Potsdam, when a repre-
sentative of the opstal service calls on
the debtor and asks for the settlement of
the account. He gets the money, delivers
the receipt and RENTS the proceeds to the
creditor, deducting a very small commits
sion for the service-usually about cent
on every 81. This service has been made
part of the postal establishments of
nearly all the countries of Europe Eng
land, Denmark and Sweden being the not
able exceptions.
In Switzerland there is a special book
service between the bookseller and the
bookbuyer. T e
Book Service bookseller pays
cent or two for
In oWltzer'and. having a book car
ried TO a prospective purchaser for in
it the postal service has finished its mis-
sion in the case: but If he decides he does
not want 1t, the post office returns it to
the bookseller without additional charge.
Switzerland also has a provision in its
postal laws whereby legal summons may
be issued and served by mail.
Italy has been a progressive country in
the development of its postal service. II
issues letters of credit for small fees, so
that the residents of one community
travelling in strange community may
get funds to meet their needs as they
travel. saving them from the necessity of
carrying large sums on their persons.
Some countries. among them Germany. is
sue identification cards to citizens travel
ing in parts of the country where they
are unacquainted This includes small
photograph of the person to whom the
card is made out. and he is vouched for
in such terms as the case requires.
japan has an interesting postal history.
There. as in England. the first postal
service was that of the royal carriers. but
England outgrew them centuries ago
While Japans present postal system dates
only from 1871. 1t is modelled largely
, after those Of the more progressive Euro
pean services. even down to the system
Of collecting bills by post.
When the average individual mails
letter to a foreign country he has little
idea of the negotiations that went on for
many long years before international CO.
operation in postal matters reached the
stage where practically the whole world
could be united into one vast postal sys-
tenn. where the mails of each country
could be accorded protection and transit
through every other country and protect
ed until they reached the hands of the
addresses.
Ia 1862 the United States proposed an
international congress on postal matters
and this congress was followed by an
/ other meeting in 1874 when II was agreed
! that the individual treaties between the
! several countries should be supplanted
by universal postal treaty, and that
any nation might enjoy the benefits of
/ the international postal union upon
ratification Of this treaty.
| This treaty was revised in 1897. and
/ provides the methods of interchanging
1 mail between the
Right of Transit signatory coun-
) Fully Guaranteed eS ,sas ,,a II r,un, suSt Of
/ transit throughout the entire region COW