ABOLISHING THE POSTAGE STAMP

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3348, 14 October 1911, Page 3

ABOLISHING THE POSTAGE STAMP

In our day the mail traffic of largo business concerns has swollen, to gigantic proportions, and even the simple labor of affixing stamps requires a special clerical staff. “Xo wonder, therefore,” says the Umsebau, “if the problem has been considered how the stamp could ho abolished altogether without prejudice to the interests of the post office. Proposals of this character 1-s.vc not been wanting, as for instance in Bavaria, since February 1, 1809, la v go> consignments are simply stamped , with a jKistmark at the office, the op n ation being carried out by ‘‘ill-achin' 1 , y. In this way the post office has say.-' Tito expense for paper and the printing cost for ten million stamps, while the business world lias economised time and money, for affixing stamps to one thousand letters requires about an hour and a-half of time. “This method of treatment, while fairly satisfactory, is still primitive. Wc can easily imagine a much better system worked out somewhat along tno lines of a gas, or water meter, the letter being simply placed in a machine and stamped with a postmark widen serves at the same time as & receipt for tire postage and as record of the date, etc. The machine would bo inspected periodically by tlie pest office in just the way as the consumer’s gas or water meter is inspected, and his bill would be paid as usual.”

The systematic efforts of German traders to induce the German public to abstain from using imported goods are .shown by a pamphlet recently published and circulated throughout the Empire. It ie a decalogue of German commerce and contains the following precepts:—Never forget when you buy a foreign article your country is the poorer. Your money should profit no one but Germans. Never profane Ger-

man factories by using foreign machinery. Never allow foreign eatables to be served at your table. German flour, German fruit, and German beer can! alone give your body true German energy. Let not foreign flattery distract you from these precepts, and bet firmly convinced, whatever others say, that German products are the only ones worthy of citizens of the German Far therlaud.