OCEAN PENNY 海洋便士？

wzqwu

<>Linking all Nations – Overseas Post <br>The postal reforms of 1840 brought cheap rates and sensible organisation to inland mails, but it was still expensive and complicated to write abroad. Countries had different methods of charging postage – by route, by distance, by weight. </P>
<>In 1846 a campaign for Ocean Penny postage was launched by Elihu Burritt, an American philanthropist and sage. His numerous pamphlets claimed that cheap postage would 'link all nations in trade and peace' Empire Penny Post was championed in the 1890's by John Henniker Heaton, a leading Conservative M.P. As a young man making his fortune in Australia, he had known what it was like to be too short of money to write home </P>
<>These campaigners claimed that cheap overseas postage would bring about such an increase in mail that the Post Office would make money. This was the same argument that had been used so successfully by Rowland Hill in the campaign for cheap inland postage. Officials in the GPO –including Hill – were not convinced. They could point to the great expense of shipping and delivery but their hands were forced in 1898 when Canada initiated a Penny Post to Britain. A few years later the other Dominions joined, and in 1908 a penny post to the United States was introduced. These posts were a boon to emigrant families. </P>
<P>In 1875 a Postal Union Convention was signed between 22 countries, mostly European but including the United States and Egypt. Standard rates were agreed between participating countries, and mail was allowed to go between them unrestricted. Thus the foundations were laid for the Universal Postal Union, the agency now responsible for our international postal arrangements. </P>
<P>以上是我搜索到的资料，英语水平极其有限，还请师长翻译一下。谢谢。</P>

[此贴子已经被作者于2006-1-24 下午 01:36:58编辑过]

wzqwu

<>冒昧的借用陈河林先生的贴片一用。谢谢</P>
<>如有不妥，请告知，我将删除，并深表歉意。</P><br>

[此贴子已经被作者于2006-1-24 下午 01:41:36编辑过]

wzqwu

<>驭海邮艺 彭谨先生的回复：</P>
<>Ocean Penny Post 指的是十九世纪末实现的国际海路邮件邮资均一制。<BR>这枚带图案的信封，应该是特制的，以纪念为目的，不属于官方邮政用品。<BR>这枚信封展示在专题展品的标题页是可以的，因为标题页允许展示非邮品。<BR> <BR></P>

叶帆

<>又长了见识，人活到老学到老，有些国外的东东，真的还很难去琢磨！</P>