The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-06-22
INTERESTING
History Of The Postage
Stamp
Detroit JournaO

The civilized world today pays hon.
age to the postage stamp, the little
friend Of humanity, on it's seventy
fifth birthday. Not since the days of
the discovery of printing had there
come to human beings such a boon as
was launche in England on May
6, 1S40, when the first postage stamps
were used. That date in history mark.
ed the beginning of popular communi.
cation, placing within the reach of
the poorest peasant the means of
writing to relatives and friends. 1t
put the people of the world into clos
er touch, 1t encouraged the art of
writing as no other agency had DONE
But, greatest of all, it spread civiliza-
tion.
Millions of people who today open
their mail scarcely glanuce at the lit
tie stamp that adorns the wrapper
1t but represents to them the cost
of transporting and handling by
the Government. Few indeed realize
that the postage stamp is modern
contrivance, and that it's great aid to
modern life has played a remarkable
part in the worlds development DUR
ing the past thre quarters of cen
tury.
1t was in 1910 that Rowland Hill, an
English schoo1master stirred all Eu-
rope to laughter by declaring that
James Chalmers and himself had de-
vised system whereby two-sheet
letter could be sent from London to
Edinburgh for two cents and yet leave
the Government a fair profit on the
transaction. At that time the fee
was 81 cents for that distance for
two-sheet letter. Such an idea SEEM
ed ricidulous to the public, which had
looked upon the sending of commune
cations 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 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 pub
lie. Hill offered proof that was in
controvetible that the actual cost of
the Government for carrying each
letter averaged only small fraction
of cent. He proved that the expense
of hiring men to figure out postal
rates on the system then existing, bas-
ed on distance and the number Of
sheets, was greater than the profit
gained, and he urged the adoption of a
fiat rate for all letters under q GER
tain weight, no matter how short or
long journey they were to make. He
originated the idea of pasting label
on every letter, to show that the cost
had been prepaid to the Government,
and pointed out that this would save
the expense and time of collecting at
point of delivery, which custom was
then in general use.
The idea sprung by Hill and his
friend, James Chalmers, gained friends
after the first roars of laughter had
died away. The Government was
pressed by not few thinkers Of the
time to adopt the system. And so, on
May 6, 1910, postage stamps. or
stamped labels" as they were called
hn ino Tod IN
the first stamp was profile picture
of the young Queen Victoria. The
effect on the postoffice was instantan-
eOus. Within two years, and they
were panic years at that, the business
of the postofiice nearly trebled.
The postage stamp came into use in
the United States in 1S47, seven years
after Great Britain had adopted it.
Five and ten-cent stamps were the
first American postage stamps, and
they carried the heads of Franklin
the letter rate was lowered to three
cents, and in 1883 to two cents. Be-
fore the postage stamp was adopted
the postal charges were more moder'
ate in the United States than In Eng
land. Our rates were six cents for 81
'miles or less; ~ cents up to 15O
miles; 1S& cents up to 400 miles, and
20 cents for every distance over that
Hill, the discoverer Of postage
stamps, was knighted and received a
gift of $4,000. raised by public sub
7cription.