Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Privately issued postcards in Queensland - 1899


Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton), Thursday 5 January 1899, page 5

Postal Cards. Private Issues

It will be remembered that at the last meeting of the Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce it was decided to write to the Postmaster-General, calling his attention to the fact that none of the views supplied by the Chamber had been used, and inquiring whether private firms were allowed to issue cards. The Secretary (Mr. R. R. Dawbarn) wrote to the Minister on the 24th of December, and by the mail yesterday he had the following reply :—"In reply to your letter of the 24th instant, embodying a resolution passed by your Chamber bearing upon the issue of illustrated post cards and private post cards, I have to inform you, by direction, that the views taken in the Central Division which accompanied your letter of the 27th of August last have not yet been utilised in connection with the issuing of illustrated post cards; but a selection will be made from them from time to time as already promised. With regard to private post cards, I am to point out that the regulations in connection therewith are published on page 63 of 'The Postal Guide' (see slip herewith). The value of the stamps to be placed on post cards is decided by regulation 2."

The regulations referring to private cards are as follow:—

"5. Private cards may be used as post cards. They must have undefaced adhesive Queensland postage stamps affixed for payment of postage and must be composed of ordinary cardboard and be of the size and substance of the official post cards and of approved colour."

"9. The conditions under which cards may be impressed with the penny postage stamp are as follow: A week's notice must be given by the applicant to the chief office and a sample of the cardboard it is proposed to use submitted. None but cardboard of approved quality and colour will be accepted. Each sheet of cardboard must be of the size of 25 in. by 20 in., and must not exceed 3oz. in weight. On each sheet the applicant's name or monogram is to be embossed or printed, and any printing must be thoroughly dry. Cards, with impressions, will be returned to the applicant in sheets of twenty-one impressions. No fee will be charged for stamping. Cash must accompany all cards to be impressed. No commission will be allowed on cards impressed for licensed vendors."

"2. Single post cards impressed with a Queensland penny stamp or having undefaced adhesive Queensland stamps to the value of ld. affixed thereto, may be transmitted between places in Queensland and in the Australasian colonies, including British New Guinea, Fiji, and the New Hebrides. Similar cards having an undefaced Queensland stamp or stamps of the value of three half-pence impressed or affixed thereto may be sent to any place beyond the Australian colonies."

"Note.—There is no international exchange of private cards."