Evening star., 1934-04-15

rative began. Star Staff Photo.
Frank Moore Colby in his out
lines of General History" credits
Henry w with the establishment of
the postal system of France about
1905. The work really was in charge
of Maximilien de Bethume, Duke Of
Sully, one of the great statesmen and
social reformers of the age.
The introduction of cheap postage
in Great Britain is told by DR.. Ed
ward P. Cheyney in "A Short History
of England" Before this time" he
says with special reference to 1895,
postage on letters was charged in
proportion to the distance they we're
carried, to their shape and to the
number of sheets they contained. The
charge was always high, the average
for all Great Britain being about 6
pence. From London to Scotland it
was apt to cost shilling or more,
and even from London to the coast
8 pence. Mr.. Rowland Hill was
SlI Will lllC ullWASOOlil VI IllLo
system and devoted much time to an
examination of postal matters with
view to their improvement. In 1887
he proposed a scheme by which cheap
postage should be introduced, the
speed and frequency of mails in
creased, a uniform rate established
and prepayment secured by the use
of stamps He trusted to the in
crease in the number of letters to
cover the expense. Against much cp-
position his plans were finally carried
through Parliament, l penny per
half ounce being charged to all parts
of the kingdom, 1t was an immedi-
ate success, the profit from the post
Office becoming much larger and the
convenience to the public infinitely
greater. After short time no one
doubted the superiority of the system
of cheap postage, the number Of
letters sent each year increasing by
many millions"
DR.. Henry william E'son. in his
History of the United States of
America" writes of the pre-Revolu-
tionary postal system: THE mail was
carried by postriders who followed the
main roads as far as there were any;
on reaching the roadless settlements
they found their way through the
forest as best they could by tire
Tails and bride paths. The postman
left a city. not at regular intervals,
but only when he received enough
mail to pay the expenses of the trip.
The remote settlements were for
tunate if they received mail ore a
month.
Benjamin Franklin was appointed
Postmaster General in 1883, and he
served about 20 years. He soon made
the service paying one to the
crown. Yet even then the amount OF
mail delivered in the whole country
in a year was less than that now de-
livered in the city of New York in one
day"
Robert D. ByrneS is editing the
stamp department of the Hartford
Courant.
Alvin w. Hall, director, Bureau OF
Engraving and Printing, will be
speaker and guest of honor at din
ner of the Washington club of the
Printing House Craftsmen, Hotel La
Fayette, Tuesday evening. His sub
ject will be "Philatelic Oddities"
Hugo Meyer, Mt. Rainier. Md, has
a post card which made an extensive
tour in the Antipodes and Canada in
1903 1t bears stamps Of Western
Australia. Tasmania and Canada, and
constitutes an authentic philatelic
puzzle
Albert F. Kunze, president, Wash
ington Stamp Club of the Air, will
speak before the District of Columbia
League of American Pen Women,
Stoneleigh Courts. Monday evening,
April 30. His subject will be Women
! of Note as Represented on Postage
Stamps" Mrs. W. E. Ochiltree. Mrs.
Howard c. Boone and Mrs. H. H. Nc
Clure. officers of the American War
Mothers, will be guests of honor.
The Washington Air Mail Society
will meet at 1885 National Press
Building tomorrow evening at 8. Ed
Kee will speak on Covers Beautiful,
Irregular and Desirable" Visitors
will be welcome
The Washington Stamp Club of the
Air will have a broadcast meeting
from Station VOL Tuesday evening
at 7:45. Mr.. Kunze will discuss HUI
man Interest Values and the Mothers
Day Stamp"
The Collectors Club will meet
Tuesday evening at at 1900 r street.
There will be an auction. Visiting
collectors invited
The Washington Philatelic Society
will meet Wednesday evening at 8 at
the Hotel Carlton. Sixteenth street.
William w. Stuart, stamp editor,
Washington Post. will discuss Stamp
Collecting so Years ago." The pub
lie is invited.
Ne Airliner to Cross Sea.
Claimed to be the fastest four
engined airliner ever built, a pas
senger plane having speed of ITO