4th Nov.
Tux long letter from " Non-Subscriber"
which appeared in our columns on Saturday last, in which a considerable reform in the Local Post-office here was advocated, including the abolition of the system of subscription, was no doubt read with the attention it deserved. It was very clearly proved that some of the subscribers sent vastly more matter through the post than would be covered by the amount of their subscription, Ins. 80, if that amount were spent in postage stamps. It was asserted that some subscribers send considerably less than thirty taels' worth of mail matter through the Post-office in a year; and it was conclusively shown that very much lower rates might be charged without loss on all mail matter passing through the office, if the subscription system were discontinued. We concede all this, and yet remain of the opinion that it will be a great mistake to do away with the subscription system.
he Local Postmaster knows perfectly well which the establishments here are whose business compels them to send rear quantities of matter through the coal Post. his has been called an abuse, but it is obviously not an abuse as long as it is. recognised that their subscription covers everything they wish to send. here is not the least doubt that these establishments would be perfectly willing to pay an additional subscription, based on their average use of the Post-office. It is, of course, the public, for whose convenience the Local ost-office was instituted, that would suffer in the end, for just as all taxes on commodities fall ultimately on the consumer, so would this extra cost of postage fall ultimately on the public. "he people who subscribe Tls. 30 a year, and do not send mail matter to that amount, do it we must presume because they find it more convenient to pay a lump sum, than to weigh and stamp every letter, paper, or parcel that they want to send, and this convenience outweighs the loss to them from the excessive subscription. If it did not, they would cease to subscribe and would use stamps. The subscribers to the Local Post Office here are in the position of the season ticket holders on a railway at home. There is a fixed rate for a season ticket between two particular points, however often the holder travels, and no doubt one man travels much more often than another and the man who does not travel often enough is at perfect liberty to discontinue taking a season ticket, and pay for a separate ticket every time he travels.
There is no question that the rates charged now for individual packets, letters, papers, or parcels, are immoderately high, and they might very well be revised, the deficiency being made up by the suggested increase in the subscriptions of those who send a great quantity of matter in the course of the year. We know, too, from universal experience that lower rates would be followed by an increased use of stamps, and would of themselves stop some of, the abuses which are said to exist at present. It is supposed that these abuses exist and form one of the motives for the proposed change; but so far the Council has not given the ratepayers any reasons Whatever for the change. They might have called for a report from the Local Postmaster, and published it in the minutes of their meetings, but they have not thought it ne appar rently to enlighten the public at all on the subject. We know, however, from experience that whatever these abuses are, they could in nearly all cases be traced and checked by the Local Postmaster, who, however, no doubt finds it easier to sweep away the old system altogether.
The Local Post office was started, as we said before, as a public convenience, and a very great convenience it has been, but it has no authority behind it, no legal monopoly, and it puts itself in a very precarious position if it takes up a position of antagonism to the convenience of the public, It is in the competence of anyone to start another post office here and to get the custom of the public if he organised a reliable service. In fact it depends entirely on the public good will and confidence; it has not even as much legal authority as the Council of which it is an offshoot. It has been a very great convenience, and it has done very well for the Council and for the public; but when it complains that the public abuse its facilities, the public whose creature it is may turn round and say that it is quite satisfied as long as the office makes no loss. Finally, we cannot understand why, if a change is really necessary, of which we have no proof at present, it was not left to the annual meeting of ratepayers. The Council wish to introduce the new system on the first of January next, we shall no doubt be told. But this actually does not allow time for people in the interior who use the local post office, to learn of the proposed change, send down to Shanghai for stamps, and get them back in time. We regard the change as unduly hurried, ill-advised, and unnecessary. It is quite within the power of the Local Postmaster to frame a scheme for a sliding scale of subscription, and a reduction of rates for prepaid correspondence, without abolishing the great convenience which the resent system affords. It is argued that "the place has grown too big for the present system." We can see no proof of this, which is contradicted by our own experience, and we see nothing to justify this slashing reform, which will cause the hundred and twenty or tore present subscribers a great deal of unnecessary worry and trouble.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.