Post office reform: its importance and practicabilityC. Knight & Company, 1837 - 97 pages |
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Post Office Reform: Its Importance and Practicability... - Primary Source ... Rowland Hill (Sir.) No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
18th Report accounts adoption allowed amount of postage annum appears assortment calculation Central Office chargeable letters collected commerce Commissioners of Post Commissioners of Revenue consideration considered conveyed correspondence cost of primary delivered delivery of letters Deputy Post-masters dispatched distribution of letters doubt duty Edinburgh effect estimate extent Foreign letters franked letters greatly important improvements increased facilities instance Letter Carriers letter-carrier London mail coaches Member of Parliament ment Messrs Ninth Report number of chargeable number of letters number of newspapers operation packet payment in advance penny post letters Post Office Inquiry Post Office revenue post-town practice present primary distribution probably proposed arrangements rate of postage receipt received receiving-house reduction of postage Reform Revenue Inquiry ROWLAND HILL secondary distribution Sir Henry Parnell stage-coaches stamped covers threepenny post tion transmission of letters twopence Twopenny Post United Kingdom unpaid letters weight West India Dock whole number Wolverhampton
Popular passages
Page 28 - A few years ago, when the expediency of entirely abolishing the newspaper stamp, and allowing newspapers to pass through the Post-office for one penny each, was under consideration, it was proposed by Mr. Charles Knight, the publisher, that the postage on newspapers might be collected by selling stamped wrappers at one penny each. Availing myself of this excellent suggestion, I propose the following arrangement : — Let stamped covers and sheets of paper be supplied to the public from the Stamp-office,...
Page 43 - ... 3. That the postage might be collected in advance, if reduced to the rate proposed ; viz : one penny for each packet not exceeding half an ounce in weight, with an additional penny for each additional half ounce. " 4. That, owing to the great simplicity of the arrangements which might be adopted under these conditions, the present establishment of the Post Office, with a slight addition, would suffice for a four-fold increase of business.
Page 14 - Hill inferred that, if the charge for postage were to be made proportionate to the whole expense incurred in the receipt, transit and delivery of the letter, and in the collection of its postage, it must be made uniformly the same from every post-town to every other post-town in the United Kingdom, unless it could be shown how we are to collect so small a sum as the thirty-sixth part of a penny.
Page 14 - It appears, then, that the cost of mere transit incurred upon a letter sent from London to Edinburgh, a distance of 400 miles, is not more than one thirty-sixth part of a penny. If, therefore, the proper charge (exclusive of tax) upon a letter received and delivered in London itself were twopence, then the proper charge (exclusive of tax) upon a letter received in London, but delivered in Edinburgh, would be twopence plus one thirty-sixth part of a penny.
Page 41 - Foreign letters appears to be required. The mode of dealing with them, which suggests itself to my mind, is the following : Let all Foreign letters on leaving this country be subjected to a double rate of English postage, but let Foreign letters received into this country be delivered free. The postage claimed by the foreign government being in each case paid by the foreign resident. This arrangement would appear to obviate the necessity for all negotiation with foreign governments on the subject...
Page 86 - One day, when I had not a shilling which I could spare, I was passing by a cottage not far from Keswick, where a carter was demanding a shilling for a letter, which the woman of the house appeared unwilling to pay, and at last declined to take. I paid the postage ; and when the man was out of sight, she told me that the letter was from her son, who took that means of letting her know that he was well: the letter was not to be paid for. It was then opened, and found to be blank !" " On my return I...
Page 6 - The loss to the revenue is, however, far from being the most serious of the injuries inflicted on society by the high rates of postage. When it is considered how much the religious, moral, and intellectual progress of the people, would be accelerated by the unobstructed circulation of letters and of the many cheap and excellent non-political publications of the present day, the...
Page 86 - Office is open to fraud, in consequence of the option which now exists. The story is as follows. " One day, when I had not a shilling which I could spare, I was passing by a cottage not far from Keswick, where a letter-carrier was demanding a shilling for a letter, which the woman of the house appeared unwilling to pay, and at last declined to take. I paid the postage ; and when the man was out of sight, she told me that the letter was from her son, who took that means of letting her know that he...
Page 46 - It is conceived, therefore, that the proposed reform, if undertaken by Government, would not meet with opposition. Its object is not to increase the political power of this or that party, but to benefit all sects in politics and religion; and all classes, from the highest to the lowest. To the rich, as to the less wealthy, it will be acceptable, from the increased facilities it will afford for their correspondence. To the middle classes it will bring relief from oppressive and irritating demands...
Page 77 - Some years ago, when it was the practice to write the name of a Member of Parliament for the purpose of franking a newspaper, a friend of mine, previous to starting on a tour into Scotland, arranged with his family a plan of informing them of his progress and state of health, without putting them to the expense of postage. It was managed thus: he carried with him a number of old newspapers, one of which he put into the post daily. The postmark...