The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-05-13

undertakes to pick up letters, when they are
dropped In one central Post Office ia city
which is frequently far from being central
to transport them to other Post Offices, nearest
the residences of the persons addressed, and
if those persons happen to call for them, and the
Post Office officials can read, and they happen
to find the letters wanted, they are delivered
over. Butnot only is there no sort of obligation
to return the letters II they miscarry. but the
people do not seem to look on the Post Office
and its employ Is as their servants at all. They
are allowed to consult their convenience, to
shelter themselves behind official routine and
the Anticipated rules of former century In
stead Of doing business according to the prin-
ciples of modern commercial activity, prompt.
ness and intelligence. In England, all letters,
except those that have no signature or ad-
dress, and which, in consequence, cannot be
traced to the sender are returned to the writer
usually within three days of the date at which
they we're written. Last year the number 80
returned was 100000, being about one In ESQ
of all that are posted. Letters are returned
whether they have any enclosure or not. About
IL, 1000 we're posted without any address at all.
To return to the subject of money orders
Henceforward orders up to the value of $50
can be transmitted formerly $25 was the maxi
mum), and all distinction between majsr and
minor money order Offices is to cease. There
Is money order Office business carried on with
Canada, and during the six or seven months 1t
has been In operation over 100000 has been
RENTED. 1t works 30 well that the plan is to
be extended to the other British colonies.
The great feature, however, of the British
postal system is its operation in cities, by means
of the one low uniform rate, the free delivery,
and the frequent and numerous collections, as
well as deliveries. In London there are over
500 places for posting letters and ten deliveries
a day. The consequence is that with few
exceptions every resident in London Is
now within furlong Of Post Office
or a road letter box, and within a
quarter of a mile Of a money order Office.
The entire number of Post Offices is IL ,4l2, aud
of pillar or road letter boxes l,795, and last
year free deliveries were established at 1,5l6
places where none existed before, and in the
improvements aud extensions in the deliveries
the sum of eli 900 was expended by the de-
partment; but the Postmaster General says with
reference to this, 81 trust that in time all this
expense will be repaid, and will be found, In
addition, to yield q fair profit" Next year
there is to be one more free delivery In London,
making one every hour from nine in the morn
ing till eight at night All letters posted now
and put into the correct receptacles before six
P. N. are delivered that night to distance of
six miles Of the General Post Office. And see
the result and scope Of the free delivery eys-
tenn. "About % per cent Of the letters,
newspapers, and other postal packets delivered
In the United Kingdom, are now conveyed
without any charge beyond the ordinary post
sge by letter carriers and rural messengers,
to the houses Of the persons to whom they are
addressed. And this proportion, great as 1t Is,
Is always on the Increase" In large numbers all
can appreciate figures, and the knowledge con-
tanned In statstica This report tells us that
aft Is striking fact that the number Of Lon
don district letters-that Il, of letters posted
In the London dntrict for delivery within the
same-is now equal to the total number Of let
ters, both general and local, posted twenty
years ago in the whole Of England and Wales,
London inclusive"
| OF registered letters there were l,400, 900,
or one to 400 of all that were posted. OF
these all but fifteen went, safely, and six Of
these being Lost or purloinsd BY fault Of on
GERS Of the department, the loss was made
good to tie owners, although there was no To-
gal obligation to do SO.
The system of compulsory prepayment, hav
ing been found TO create Inconvenience and
dissatisfaction, In consequence of the occasional
delay Of very important letters, was discon
tinued after trial Of several months, the Posi-
Office Department being guided In this, Is Ia
all other matters, by public opinion.
About 7o,5oo,oO0 newspapers were sent By
post during the year. A new machine ha'
been invented, and Is coming into use, which
can be worked by steam, for stamping and
counting letters and obliterating stamps. Thu
total number Of miles run daily by the post
emitting the letter carriers, Is 100000. o
The el,770,554 of expenditure properly per
tanning to the year, flil 900 s2,2o5,O oo) wa
for railway conveyance, and El7o,2lo ($s5l,
O50) for other transportation, not reckoning
conveyance In the colonies. The sum o
e9s3,s3o Cor s4,9l9, l50) was expended fol
salaries and pensions, the payments being
made In oil cases by salary and not BY commits
sion. The total number Of persons employs
Is 24,372.
New postal conventions have been concluded
between Great Britain and several foreig'
countries, including Portugal, Nicaragua, Ne'
Granada, Uruguay, Peru and the German posta
union, but unfortunately al attempts to get tn
postage reduced between Great Britain an
the United States, and TO simplify the rates OF
printed matter, have failed, owing TO constan
disagreement a. 70 terms. The correspondents