Milford chronicle., 1915-08-06

Wild Postal Reform Idea, but He Per.
sisted and Finally Wen the Day Fo,
the Little Friend of Humanity.
Not since the days Of the discovers
of printing had there come to human
beings such a boon as was launched
in England on May G, 1910, when tba
first postage stamps, the little friends
of humanity, were used. That data
in history marked the beginning Of
popular communication, placing within
the reach of the poorest peasant the
means of writing to relatives and
friends. 1t put the people of the world
into closer touch, it encouraged the
art of writing as no other agency had
done. But, greatest of all, it spread
civilization.
Millions Of people who today open
their mail scarcely glance at the little
stamp that adorns the wrapper 1t but
represents to them the cost of trans.
porting and handling by the govern.
ment
Few indeed realize that the postags
stamp is a modern contrivance, and
that its great aid TO modern life has
played a remarkable part in the worlds
development during the past three
quarters Of century.
1t was in 1910 that Rowland Hill. an
English schoolmaster, stirred all Eu.
rope to laughter by declaring that
James Chalmers and himself had de.
vised system whereby a two sheet
letter could be sent from London to
Edinburgh for two cents and yet leave
the government fair profit Oh the
transaction. At that time the fee
was 81 cents for that distance for
two sheet letter.
Such radical idea as Hills seemed
ridiculous to the public, which had
looked upon the sending of cOmmunica.
tions as an expensive luxury. And so
the joke went around, and the poor
laughed with the others at the idea
Of any means that would place them on
a par with the aristOcracy.
Hill persisted despite the ridicule. He
worked diligently on his schedule, and
when the time was ripe he flashed the
system on parliament and the public
Hill offered proof that was incontro-
vertible that the actual cost Of the gov.
ernment for carrying each letter aver
aged only a small fraction of a cent
He proved that the expense Of hiring
men to figure out postal rates on the
system then existing, based on dis
tance and the number of sheets, was
greater than the profit gained, and be
urged the adoption of a fiat rate for all
letters under a certain weight, no mat.
ter how short or long a journey they
were to make
He originated the idea Of pasting a
label on every letter to show that the
cost had been prepaid to the govern
ment. and pointed out that this woud
save the expense and time of collecting
1t point of delivery, which custom was
hen in general use.
The idea sprung by Hill and his
friend, James Chalmers. gained friends
after the first roars of laughter had
lied away. The government was press
I'd by not few thinkers of the time
o adopt the system. And so on May
, 1910, postage stamps, or stamped
abels," as they were called at the
ime, were inaugurated. On the first
tamp was a profile picture Of the
oung Queen Victoria. The effect on
he postOffice was instantaneous. With
D two years-and they were panic
ears at that-the business Of the post
flee nearly trebled
The postage stamp came into use in
he United States in 1S47, seven years
fter Great Britain had adopted 1t.
I've and ten cent stamps were the first
merican postage stamps, and they
lrried the heads of Franklin and
Washington. -Four years later the let
II rate was lowered to cents, and in
3S3 to cents.
Before the postage stamp was adopt
the postal charges were more mod
ate in the United States than in
ngland. Our rates were cents for
lirty miles or less, 1917 cents up to
70 miles, 1SA cents up to 400 miles
i'd % cents for every distance over
at
Hill, the discoverer Of postage
amps, was knighted and received a
it of $4,000, raised by public sub
Journal.