§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)asked the Postmaster General, in reference to his recommendation to the Australian Colonies to join the Postal Union, Is he aware that the postage to India, which is only half way to Australia, is 5d., though it is in the Postal Union; what guarantee have we that, if the Australian Colonies joined the Postal Union, the charges would be reduced, and better rates obtained than now exists to India; and, is it a fact that nine-tenths of the British Countries and Colonies which have joined the Union are charged for postage 5d. or 4d. from Great Britain, and 2½d, from France, Germany, or Italy?
§ THE POSTMASTER GENERAL (Mr. RAIKES) (Cambridge University)The postage of a letter to India is 5d., and if the Australian Colonies joined the Postal Union they would probably adopt the same charge for their letters to Europe. To most of the British Colonies which are members of the Postal Union the charge for a letter from England is 4d. or 5d; because beyond the fundamental union rate of 2½d., the British Post Office charges an extra rate for sea or foreign transit. Italy charges, as we do, a surtax of l½d., in addition to the fundamental union rate, for all letters sent to places beyond sea. But Franco and Germany, in the exercise of their right to levy or not to levy the sea surtax, limit their charge to the rate of 2½d. to all countries of the Union. The French and German Governments pay much higher subsidies relatively for their Packet Services than the British Government do. The considerable loss in point of postal revenue consequent thereon must be thrown on the taxpayers of each country, an arrangement which I apprehend would not be a generally welcome innovation in our fiscal system.