FOREIGN AND COLONIAL BOOK POST.
The ill-judged treaty which bound us to carry certain printed matter to the United States at the low charge of one penny for two ounces, though with very high charges for greater weights, led to discontent in Canada, which, though enjoying an arrangement far more favourable on the whole, was subjected to a higher minimum charge. The Canadian complaint was backed by Lord Grey, then Secretary for the Colonies. Negotiations were therefore entered into with the United States Government for the substitution of a regular book-post for the existing arrangement.
To recover a false step, however, is notoriously less easy than to make, or even to avoid it, and the negotiation proved fruitless. The failure was the more unsatisfactory because of the motive for the rejection of our proposals (fully shown in the progress of the negotiations), viz., the desire to protect American literary piracy from the competition of our legitimate production. I am happy to record, however (1868), that a better spirit has prevailed, and that books are now sent by post to the United States as elsewhere.
In the year 1852, Lord Wrottesley calling to inform me that the British Association for the Promotion of Science was about to apply to Government for the international transmission of scientific publications at a low rate, I pointed out to him that it would be much better to apply for a general book-post, and the application was modified accordingly.
Meantime, with the concurrence of the Commissioners of Post Office Inquiry in the East Indies and of the East India Company, I obtained from Lord Hardwicke, though with some difficulty,[115] sanction to a measure for extending the book-post to the East Indies.
SALARIES AND PROMOTION.
Early in 1852 my brother Frederic completed a measure adjusting the salaries of the rural sub-postmasters (about six thousand, I believe, in number), advancing some and depressing others, according to the ascertained amount of work, and laying down a rule for the decision of all future cases. Somewhat later, the Postmaster-General having decided, on receipt of a memorial from the clerks of the Money Order Office, that their salaries should be revised, I prepared a minute, which received Lord Hardwicke’s ready sanction, and which I intended to serve as a model for other departments. Its substance was, first, to prepare a scheme of salaries, classes, &c., according to the best practicable ideal; to make this the ground of all future appointments, and gradually to apply it, with due modification, to the clerks already in the service. Further, it assigned to each clerk a small yearly increase of salary in case of continued good conduct, regulated the number of classes and the complement of each by the gradations and amount of duty, made promotion strictly dependent upon fitness for higher service, and laid down “that the amount of salary assigned to the respective classes should be such, and such only, as will suffice to secure the services of thoroughly competent men.” My hope that this minute would serve as a model for more general regulations did not wait long for fulfilment.
While these changes were in progress, other departments of the Office were applying for a revision of salaries, and, as a means of securing uniformity of action, essential to general contentment, I offered to deal myself with all such cases. Though this offer was but very partially accepted at the time, a more decided step towards a uniform system was taken soon afterwards, as already mentioned, by the appointment of a Commission for the general revision of salaries in several departments of the Civil Service. My examination before this Commission occupied eight days, and I had the satisfaction to find its views concurring to the full extent with my own and my brother Frederic’s on the important points of patronage, promotion, and classification.
The Report of this important Commission was issued in the year 1854. Amongst the many valuable recommendations which it contained, the following are perhaps the most noticeable:—
The Commissioners first object to the double secretariate, and, observing that “the business of the Post Office is of a kind which peculiarly requires centralization,” recommend that the whole should be placed under the direction of a single secretary.