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Health stamps of two denominations, ljd. (Id. postage pins M. for " Health ") -and 3d. (2d. for postage plus Id. for " Health "), were issued on the Ist October. The .stamps, which were designed by Mr. J. Berry, of Wellington, and printed in England by Messrs. Waterlow and Sons, London, featured the well-known statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, London. Health stamps to the value of £110,727 were sold. One-third of that amount representing the health value, together with donations amounting to £lB7 collected by the Post Office, was paid to the New Zealand Federation of Health ■Camps. A special series of postage-stamps to commemorate the centenary of the Otago Province was placed on sale on the 23rd February, 1948. The series comprised four -denominations —Id., 2d., 3d., and 6d. The stamps featured the following subjects: Id., the ships " John Wickliffe " and " Philip Laing " at anchor in Port Chalmers Harbour, 1848 ; 2d., the Township of Cromwell; 3d., " First Church," at Dunedin; .and 6d., University of Otago (main building), Dunedin. The stamps were designed by Mr. J. Berry, of Wellington, and were printed by Messrs. Bradbury, Wilkinson, and Co., Ltd., England. They were in the usual large commemorative size and were printed in two colours by the intaglio process. TWELFTH CONGRESS OF UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION, PARIS, 1947 The Twelfth Congress of the Universal Postal Union, held in Paris from the 7th May to the sth July, 1947, was notable for some important changes affecting the Union. Firstly, the Universal Postal Union, as one of the inter-governmental organizations having wide international responsibilities, was brought into relationship asa" specialized .agency " with the United Nations Organization, in accordance with Article 57 of the United Nations Charter. The agreement giving effect to the relationship, which was signed by the President of the Congress on behalf of the Universal Postal Union, provides for co-operation with and assistance to the United Nations and its principal and subsidiary organizations, as far as is compatible with the provisions of the Universal Postal Convention. The agreement also lays down that no provision of the Universal Postal Convention or its connected agreements may be invoked as forming an obstacle to or making any limitations whatever in the observance by a Government of its obligations towards the United Nations. Secondly, a change was made in the membership clause of the Postal Union. Hitherto, under the Convention, membership of the Union has been open to all Sovereign States merely by announcing their adhesion to the Union. The amendment .adopted at Paris provides that any country may ask to be allowed to adhere to the -Convention at any time, but admission as a member is subject to the approval of at least two-thirds of the countries comprising the Union. Thirdly, an Executive Commission (or Administrative Council) of the Union, consisting of nineteen member countries, was established with certain powers to deal with questions that arise between Congresses, which are normally held every five years. Hitherto such questions have had either to await the assembling of the five-yearly Congresses or be decided by post. Intermediate countries which handle the mails of one country in transit to a third .are entitled to payment for the internal transport service rendered. The rates paid, known as " transit rates," are fixed by the Convention. At the Paris Congress a Transit Rates Committee was established (a) to examine the general question of transit rates with a view to determining an equitable basis for fixing those rates, and (b) to suggest methods for simplifying their calculation. The Committee is required to submit its report to the Postal Union before the next Congress meets.

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