Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/218

 public. Although he had at his finger tips unlimited statistics, he always endeavoured to illustrate his facts with some striking picture of common life: the lonely settler reading his Christmas mail, or the old folks at home receiving a money order from their son abroad.

By 1890, he had succeeded in reducing international postage from sixpence to twopence halfpenny, a compromise that found little favour in the eyes of the reformer, who considered twopence halfpenny an inconvenient sum for a nation that does not use decimal coinage.

In granting permission for the reprinting of a passage from his book, Sir Charles Bruce writes:

"The present peril of the Empire is an eminently appropriate moment for the publication of reminiscences of Sir John Henniker Heaton. They afford encouragement in reminding us what can be and has been accomplished by one single man, by sincere, strenuous, and steadfast devotion to one imperial cause; and above all, the circumstances of the war bring home to every household the use and service of cheap communication by post and wire."

The passage referred to is taken from that monumental work of Imperialism, "The Broad Stone of Empire," by Sir Charles Bruce, G.C.M.G., which gives the following account of the fight for Penny Postage:

"In July, 1895, Lord Salisbury formed his second government, and the appointment of Mr Chamberlain as Colonial Secretary was announced, the Duke of Norfolk being Postmaster-General. In February, 1896, Mr Henniker Heaton laid before Mr Chamberlain the case for Imperial Penny Postage. His opening words were: