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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 2 (May 1, 1936)

The Penny Post

The Penny Post.

Ward's most noteworthy act as Minister was the introduction of penny postage for letters. From the very first he had realised its advantages, and, in 1891, he succeeded in obtaining Parliament's authority for the establishment of the penny postage in New Zealand and on reciprocal terms with any country which might be disposed to adopt it. But the initial difficulty, the losses that at first would follow reduction, delayed the actual establishment of the reform until January 1, 1901, when the people were for the first time enabled to send a letter for a penny.

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In the meantime, Mr. Ward had been out of politics through business troubles, but on his return, in 1899, he took up the cause on which he had set his heart, and carried it through. Further concessions to the popular needs were made, such as the reduction of telegraph charges.

The honour of knighthood was conferred on the Minister soon afterwards; it was a fitting recognition of his untiring work in the cause of freer and cheaper communication. At the International Postal Conference in Rome, in 1906, he appealed for the universal adoption of penny postage— a great and bold reduction from the existing charge of twopence-halfpenny. The cautious Convention did not adopt the reform then, but the proposal set the nations thinking and moving, and penny postage came at last.