We are informed by the Yokohama Post Ofc, that excepting postal rates Post and Telegraph Offices are. located, laces in Corea and China where Japanese
viz, Fusan, Chemulpo (Seoul included) and' Yuensan in the former, where domestic rates are charged, and Shanghai, Tientsin, Chefoo, Soochow, Shashi and Hangchow in the latter, where the postage rate is half that of the others, the rates to other places shall be amended as follows after Ast October of the current year Letter, per 15 Ordinary postal card 1.1 Return postal card...
Printed matter, por 60 grams.
Sample goods, up to 100 gram Sample goods, for every add TAINS eve Legal and commercial documents up to 260 grams e=e10 Tegal and commercial documents, for every additional 50 grams 2 Charge for registration Charge for return register receipts.
The authorities allege that they have been obliged: to effect the present change of a result of the recent fall in. the gold price of silver. The alteration is based on the new method of calculating.after 1st of October, as to the relative rate of foreign and Japanese coins, as specified in Art. TV. of the Detailed Rules of the International Postage Convention, as follows:25 Centimes to he counted 10 sen of Japanese currency; 10 centimes, 4 sen, and s0 on. Until the Government shall issue new four sen ordinary postal cards and eight sen return cards, the present international postal cards may be used by affixing on them the stamps necessary to make up the deficient postage.
From the above it will be soon that roughly speaking, postal rates to the United States, Canada, Hongkong, Shanghai and Viadivostock on letters, printed matter, and postal-cards, have been actually doubled. As to other countries belonging to the postal union, the postage on letters remains practically the same, although a slight increase is observable on postal cards, samples, etc.
The Jiji states that the object which the Government has in raising the postal rates ay mentioned above, is that it contemn-plates getting the sum of 16,000.00 yen within five years, by increasing the rate of postage marder that the money may be expended in the extension of postal and telegraphic accommodation, which is an entirely different version to that giv the Gorernment itself, namely tha increase of rates is caused by the fall in the price of silver.
It will no doubt be observed by our readers, thet the enhanced rates,—double the ones which are now charged,—were made to fall on postal. matter sent abroad, the destination of which is principally to the United States and to Europe. This scerne to be an unfair levy on foreigners' letters ariel newspapers. Commercial houses in particular should object, and the Chamber of Commerce should at once take the matter in hand, witha view to an amelioration of the new rates. It is, no doubt, an advantage from a financial point of view, se far as the Japanese exchequer is concerned, to squeeze foreigners, and make them pay the major part of the expense of the telegraph and postal systems, but it seems to us to be decidedly unfair, and it is particularly so, when it is taken into consideration that the heavy subsidies paid to steamship companies for the rapid conveyance of mails to Japan and from it are met by foreign Governments exclusively, this country contributing no subsidy whatever to the cost of the service—Japan Herald,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.