the July number of Mr. W.'. Stead's Review of Reviews, the monthly magazive that was scoffed ut and decried by all the superior journals when it was announced, but has already achieved an unparalleled success, is an article on the National Memorial to the Queen in favour of Penny Postage throughout the English-speaking World, Although the Quien, though she reigns, dues not govern, it is still to her that the grievances and desires of her subjects are expressed, and it is only natural that she, who has awider and more tu broken acquaintance with the government of Ler country than any of her ministers, should have the tacit influence that she must exercise recognised. Mr. Stead's article is headed by a wood-cut of an old-fashioned, heavily rigged, paddle-wheel mail-steamer, and our first thought is one of wonder that avy artist of to-day should imagine that such steamers are still used to carry the mail, But we wonder still more, and our wonder this time is at the tardiness with which ideas germinate in the conservative soil of the official mind, when we find that this very sketch formed the heading of the note-paper used by Elihu Burritt when he advocated Ocean Penny Postage fifty years ago. On the steamer's foresail are the words "An Ocean Penny Postage" on the foretopsail "The World's Want and should be England's Boon"; on her ensign "A Welcome Everywhere" while of her main flies appropriately enough, the "envelope" flag which the P. & 0. Company has made so familiar all over the East. The legend under the sketch is All posts are open whereso'er she Fridus hail her teeloome, and she has no foes.
It is an old story now how Rowland Hill had to fight against the prejudices of officialdom to get penny postage established in Great Britain and Ireland. Only the other day Mr. Raikes, Postmaster-General, presided at jubilee; how is it that the occasion did not influence him with the desire to have his own name handed down to posterity as the Minister who established penny postage throughout the En; lish-speaking world? Mr. Henniker Heaton has taken up the cause which Elihu Burritt advocated fifty years ago, and it is now receiving the assistance of the undeniable influence of Mr. Stead. At last, after much hammering, the government has been bent to give the Australian colonies the 24d. rate, which the other members of the Postal Union have given their nationals all over the world; and in a little while it is we exiles in China and Japan who will have the privilege of paying more for our letters and telegrams than any of our fellow-countrymen. To reduce the rate for letters throughout the English-speaking world to one penny, Would involve an immediate loss of £75,000 a year; and this frightful expense, which all experience proves would be made up in two or three years at most, Mr. Goschen with all his recurring surpluses is afraid to face. The Post Office makes an annual net profit of nearly four millions sterling, the whole of which ought properly to be spent on the service, and yet the government grudges the temporary loss of £75,000 a year which the establishment of penny postage throughout the English-speaking world would involve. The United States set us an example which we might well follow, if not to the bitter end. Their Post Office is worked for the best advantage of the connuunity not as a source of profit. It is worked, indeed, at an actual loss of between three and four million dollars annually. Mr. Raikes would have to reduce his rates enormously before he produced such result.
Mr. Stead's memorial to the Queen has been signed by all sorts and conditions of men from the Prince of Wales' son-in-law, through a Scotch Archbishop, Bishops, Members of Parliament, Mayors, Chairmen of School Boards and Boards of Guardians, to " over seventy editors." A cause that is being taken up by the municipal authorities and the editors of newspapers all over the British Isles, as well as by the clergy of all denominations, the leading trades unionists, and
the pinch of high postage much more mast intent women, ie feel than men do, is iiore than half won and before long we may hope to see the postage between London and Hongkong reduced to a penny. Perhaps as the ereunctt has never been sure that hanghai is not a British Colony, it may be extended even to us. It is true that we do not suffer from the maintenance of the 5d. rate to England, as our correspondents at home do. Through the French or German post offices we send our letters home for about 24d., which is about 5 cents; and as the five-cent. piece is the smallest coin with which we ordinarily deal, it represents to us the home penny. But we have most of us friends and relations at home to whom the recurring expenditure of fivepence for a letter is a serious cousideration; and we have therefore reason ito heartily hope that the agitation of Mr. Heaton and Mr. Stead will be soon successful,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.