(b) The extension of periodic (not necessarily daily) delivery to every house, however remote, as in France, Prussia, and Switzerland; an improvement important, not only to commercial interests and social intercourse, but to jurisprudence, legislation, and political action.
(c) The establishment on one or two of the great routes—say after a trial for a short distance—of a mode of conveyance far more rapid than any yet employed, but delayed on account of its great expense, viz., tubular conveyance; by the use of which, in the opinion of the eminent engineers, Mr. C. H. Gregory and Mr. E. A. Cowper (as set forth by them in a report to myself dated October, 1859), a speed of from 120 to 150 miles an hour might be attained, though at a total annual cost (interest of capital inclusive) of about £800 per mile, from which, however, there would be a set-off of probably about two-thirds for present expenses saved. The use of such conveyance so far as Crewe on the one hand and Dover on the other, would bring Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Paris wholly within the reach of the London night mail, at the same time, of course, greatly lessening the effective distance to all places beyond. It would also, for reasons not necessary to be stated here, both facilitate the frequent despatch of mails, and aid greatly in the prompt distribution of newspapers to places directly or indirectly served; would, for instance, make it practicable to place the London morning newspapers on the breakfast tables of Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.
(d) Increase in the standard of weight, say, from half an ounce to an ounce, a change which would reduce the postage of heavy letters by about a half, besides avoiding much weighing of letters and vexatious overcharge for excess of weight.
(e) A reduced rate of postage, on certain conditions, for circulars. In most towns there is a time in every day at which the work in the post office is light, as also a delivery at which the amount of letters, &c., might be considerably increased without inconvenience, and circulars so posted as best to suit these opportunities, provided always they came in sufficient numbers and were taken to the head office, might reasonably be dealt with on lower terms, perhaps at half the present rate.
A plan in accordance with what is here set forth was drawn up by my son, Mr. Pearson Hill, and laid before the Secretary of the Post Office some time ago, but, as I understand, awaits decision. His plan is limited to local distribution; but, should it be adopted and prove successful, I should be ready to suggest means for giving it general effect.
Now beneficial concessions in the case both of letters and newspapers would be greatly facilitated by the establishment of more equitable and more equable arrangements than the present between the Post Office and the railway companies. Opportunity for this is likely soon to arise through inevitable demand for the extension to railway traffic of that abolition of tax on locomotion which is now imminent in respect of other modes of conveyance, a concession which may fairly be accompanied with the legal enactment of the tariff of charges, and other modifications in the laws affecting the Post Office proposed in paragraphs 23 and 24 of my Report on Railways, dated 7th May, 1867, which forms part of the Report of the Royal Commission on Railways laid before Parliament in the same year.
Perhaps, also, means may be devised for such further improvement of the apparatus used in exchanging bags as to remove the present objection to increased weight.
Supposing these two important advantages to be secured, the Post Office would then be able, without injustice to other interests, to receive the newspapers (of course still in bulk and unaddressed, though assorted according to districts and accompanied with respective lists) directly from the metropolitan or other central publishers or vendors, and to forward them, without further intervention, to their ultimate destination; thus, in effect, reducing still further the charge for their distribution throughout the country.
As reduction in labour, not only to the Post Office but also to senders, will obviously attend every reduction in number of packets, perhaps two or more publishers or vendors may, under either of the above arrangements, send combined packets, lists, &c., a course which will not in any way impede or modify distribution.
The operation of the plans recommended in this paper would, I believe, open the way to additional advantages which it would now be premature to mention.
Rowland Hill.