The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-16 00:00:00

POST OFFIOE REFORM'.

The report just issued by the commissioners
appointed to examine into the internal arrange-
ments of the Post-office is very full, and contains a
great number of suggestions, which, when carried
out, will have the effect placing the establish-
ment upon an entirely altered footing. The first
point which attracted their attention—namely, the
anomaly of Colonel Maberly and Mr. Rowland
Hill acting as secretaries of equal rank and inde-
pendent authority in a public department where
centralisation is peculiarly essential—has already
been remedied by the retirement of the former. The
commissioners saw at once that this system should
be terminated, and consequently recommended the
nomination of a single secretary, at a salary of
1,5001., rising in five years to 2,0001., and two
assistant secretaries, at salaries rising from 7001. to
1,0001. With regard to the generasalaries of the
establishment, which are at present arranged in a
manner that causes jealousy and dissatisfaction,
the commissioners propose a broad, consistent, and
liberal reform. They consider that, with the ex-
ception of the secretary's office, the salaries of all
the ordinary clerks should be placed on a uniform
basis, and that three classes should be formed, the
lowest receiving 801 a-year, increasing annually by
Si. to 150/. ; the next 1801., increasing by 7/. 10s.,
to 2401. ; and the highest 2601., increasing by 10/.
to 3501. In the secretary's office, where superior
qualifications are required, the minimum, it is
thought, should be 1201., and the maximum 5001.
Heads of offices in each case are to receive pro-
portionally larger remuneration. As respects the
letter-carrying business, a consolidation is recom-
mended
of the hitherto separate departments
known as the Inland-office, the London District-
office, and the Dead Letter-office, the whole to be
placed under a single controller, with a salary ris-
ing from 6001. to 800/. a-year, with a vice-controlle
and a certain number of deputies. The sorters,
letter-carriers, &c., are proposed to be divided into
four classes, so as to afford the prospect of promo-
tion as a stimulus to honesty and intelligence. For
the lowest class the recommendation is 19s. per
week, rising annually ls. a-week to 235. ; for the
next, 255., rising to 30s. ; for the next, 325., rising
to 38s. ; and for the highest, 405., rising to 50s.
They are also to be eligible for the appointment of
inspectors of letter-carriers, whose salaries are to
range from 1101. to 300/. Along with these arrange-
ments others are put forth for abolishing offices
which are becoming obsolete, and creating new
ones called for by th altered circumstances of the
times. Among the latter are four inspectors, with
salaries of 3001. to 5001., whose dnty it should be
to maintain the authority of the Post-office in deal-
ing with the railway companies. The yearly sum
now paid to railway companies for mail service
amounts to 372,0001., and, as it is customary for
the Post-office and the companies in making their
respective contracts each to appoint an arbitrator,
a permanent officer is also considered necessary for
that duty, at a salary of 7001., rising to 1,0001.
Finally, the departments of the Receiver-General
and the Accountant-General are recommended to
be amalgamated, and their whole system of book-
keeping simplified, some of the accounts being still
kept in much the same form as when first esta-
blished, in the reign of Queen Anne. By this
means the number of persons employed in the two
offices might be reduced from 64 to 50. With re-
gard to the Money-order office, which at present
employs 160 clerks, the commissioners consider
that the business is conducted with method and
accuracy, and that such simplifications as are ne-
cessary may be left with confidence in the hands
of the Postmaster-General. In conclusion, the
commissioners urge that all promotion should
be made to depend on qualification and merit.
They also state their opinion that the system of
precisely limiting the hours of work and of giving
extra for after services is, in most instances, objec-
tionable, since it induces men to labour too much
for the additional advantage, and to render them-
selves languid or unfit for their regular duties ;
but in all cases where work is required, as a general
rule, at unseasonable hours it should operate as a
reason for a higher salary. An annual holiday as
a preservation of vigour is also recommended, an
the ground of public economy, and a yearly allow-
ance of one month without any deduction of pay is
accordingly proposed for the clerks, and a fort-
night for the sorters, letter-carriers and inferior
officers. With respect to the abolition of offices
.and the alteration of salaries, the commissioners
are careful that the change should be made in a
way not to affect injuriously existing holders. The
whole of their report, with some unimportant ex-
ceptions, was concurred in by Lord Canning, the
Postmaster-General, and on the 28th ult. the Trea-
sury gave authority to his lordship to take imme-
diate steps to give effect to its recommendations.

SOUTH-WESTERN RAILWAY FRIENDLY

SOCIETY.

This valuable institution, of which the half-yearly
meeting has recently been held, redounds very much to
the credit of the employees of the South-Western
way Company, and might, we think, be very appropri-
ately followed by other societies in connection with the
different great rail ways in the United Kingd.un. Its
object is to raise from time to time, by sal)scriptions
amongst the members, by voluntary contributions, by
donations, and by a weekly subscription paid by the
London and South-Western Railway Company for each
member of the society in their employ, a stock or fund
for the mutual relief and maintenance of members, in
cases of sickness, accident, or incapacity to exercise their
ordinary calling, assurances in case of death, and pen-
sions or deferred annuities on attaining the age of 65.
It is needless to point out the advantages which must
result from such a society, for they are apparent to every
one ; but we know of no class of men by whom they
will be more keenly felt than the great majority of the
servants of railway companies, because from the nature
of their employment they are exposed to more than ordi-
nary dangers, and perhaps rendered more liable to sick-
ness. The half-yearly meeting was held at the institu-
tion room, Brunswick House, Nine Elms, when Mr. F.
J. Macaulay took the chair, in the absence of Mr. L.
Crombie, the president.
In presenting their report on the affairs of the society
during the half-year ending 30th June last, the directors
say :—" We are happy to be able to refer on this occasion
to the establishment of the society on the firm footing
secured by means of the new code of rules submitted to
and adapted by you on the last special general meeting.
The new regulations, which have at last after so many
months' delay been settled, and which came into opera-
tion on the Ist of July last, will we trust prove satis-
factory. The society, as now established, is open to
the admission of new members on terms most favourable
to all parties interested in its welfare. We feel confi-
dent that the working of the society under the present
rules will shew a larger balance to the credit of the funds
than has ever yet been exhibited to you. The sickness
of the last half-year has not been so severe as formerly,
but the mortality has been greater, six members having
died during the six months."
Among the other resolutions passed wag one, thank-
ing the directors of. the South-Western Railway Com-
pany for their munificent gift of 751., and for the great
interest they had taken in the welfare of the society.
It is to be hoped that the list of the society's members
will soon embrace the whole working staff of the rail-
way.

PRICE OF GOLD,—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 4 per "Dille discount (according to the last tariff),
which,Mint price of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per
ounc at
ounce for
h r standardgold,
gives an exchange of 25.07 ;
and, the exchange at Paris on London at short being
25.021, it follows that gold is about 0.18 per cent. dearer
in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg,
the price of gold is 4211 per mark, which, at the English
Mint price of 3/. 17s. 104 d. per ounce for standard gold.
gives an exchange of 13.3 i ; and, the exchange at
Hamburg on London at short being 13.41, it follows
that gold is 0.59 per cent. dearer in London than in
Hamburg. The course of exchange at New York on
London for bills at 60 days' sight is 1091 per cent., and,
the par of exchange between England and America be-
ing 109 23-40 per cent. it follows that the exchange is
nominally 0.17 per cent. in favour of England ; and,
after making allowance for charges of transport anddifference of interest, the present rate leaves a trifling
profit on the importation of gold from the United
States.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AT BRUSSELS DT AN ENGLISH-
MAN.—An attempt to commit a douhle murder was
made on the evening of the Bth, at Brussels, in the
Rue des Grands Carmes. About a quarter past ten,
just as a grocer named Delarocca, aged 65, was on
the point of closing his shop, a well-dressed man
entered and asked for some articles. They were
given him and he paid for them, but in place
of immediately taking- his departure he continued
talking in a wondering manner. At last the grocer
observed to him that it was time to shut up, and going
round the counter proceeded towards the door, as if to
close it after the customer. The moment he came near
the stranger, this latter pulled a hammer from under
his coat, and gave M. Delarocca four dreadful blows
on the head. The servant of the grocer, a woman
aged about 50, on hearing the noise of her master
falling to the ground, hurried out, and was received
by the stranger in the same manner, and fell im-
mediately bathed in her blood. The man then rushed
round the counter to get at the money in the till ;
but this dreadful drama had not passed unobserved,
as the cries of the servant had attracted the atten-
tion of some persons on the opposite side of the
way. They hurried over to the house, and with the
assistance ,of a police agent, who happened to come
up, arrested the man. He was immediately interro-
gated by the nearest commissary of police, and de-
clared his name to be Alexander Henderson, a native of
Great Britain, and following the calling of a coachman.
He declared that he was urged to the crime by want.
The next morning the grocer and the servant were both
alive, but scarcely any hope is entertained of their re-
covery. Henderson lived in the house opposite, and
probably conceived the idea of the crime from
seeing the grocer from his window. The prisoner is
well known at Brussels as a man of bad character, who
had reduced his wife and family to such distress by his
misconduct as to force them to apply to the depot of
mendioity,

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