Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-08-06
POSTAGE STAMPS.
All Europe Laughed When Their
Use Was First Suggested.
LOOKED UPON AS A HUGE JOKE

Rowland Hill Was RidicuIed For nj
Wild Postal Reform Idea, but He Per
sisted and Finally Won the Day 70
the Little Friend Of Humanity.
Not since the days Of the discover.
Of printing had there come to human
beings such a boon as was Launched
In England on May 8, 1910. when th'
first postage stamps, the little friend
of humanity, were used. That dat
In history marked the beginning O.
popular communication, placing within
the reach of the poorest peasant thu
means of writing to relatives ant
friends. 1t put the people of the worlt
into closer touch, 1t encouraged thu
art of writing as no other agency hat
done But. greatest Of all, it spread
E civilization.
Millions of people who today oper
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 postage
stamp is modern contrivance, and
that its great aid to modern life has
played remarkable part in the worlds
development during the past three
quarters of century.
It 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 a 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 "a cents for that distance for
two sheet letter.
Such a 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 goy-
ernment for carrying each letter aver
aged only 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 he
urged the adoption of fiat rate for all
letters under 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 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 press
ed 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 at the
time, were inaugurated. On the first
stamp was a profile picture of the
young Queen Victoria The effect on
the postofIiee was instantaneous. With
In two years-and they were panic
years at that-the business of the post
office nearly trebled
The postage stamp came into use in
the United States in 1847, 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 and
Washington. Four years later the let
ter rate was lowered to cents, and in
1883 to cents.
Before the postage stamp was adopt.
ed the postal charges were more mod
crate in the United States than In
England. Our rates were cents for
thirty miles or less. 12h cents up to
100 miles. 1871 cents up to 400 miles
and % cents for every distance over
that. 4
Hill, the discoverer- of postage
stamps, was knighted and receivedfa
gift of $4,000. raised by public sub
scription.-Detroit Journal =