IN HIS extremely interesting and suggestive speech at the opening of Southwark Bridge, the King said that communications were civilization. As though to provide an ironic commentary on words so packed with truth, the Government was engaged in the House of Commons in furthering the Safeguarding of Industries Bill, which, whatever hidden merits it may possess, cannot by any possible interpretation be held to facilitate international trade. At the same time, the country is threatened with an increase in postal rates that is bound to hamper very seriously the expansion of export trade. Though we do not attach importance to the allegations against the administration of telegraphs and telephones, we are confident that if any part of the services for which the Postmaster-General is responsible are to be curtailed or made more costly, it must not be that essential of trade and modern civilization — cheap and safe mails. Traders have a special grievance in that they have been encouraged by the Board of Trade to get out catalogues for transmission abroad, and are now faced with an increase in foreign postage so heavy as to make such methods of getting business unduly expensive. There is, of course, a perfectly good argument to be made out for making all communications as free as the roads, but no practicable scheme has been produced. Since, however, the welfare of the whole community depends upon our foreign trade, it is difficult to believe that such expansion as would result from cheap postage abroad would not be more likely to make up the deficit on the Post Office than the policy advocated by the Postmaster-General.

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