Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-10
ENGLAND-s POSTAL BUSINESS.
Increased Deliveries in Every Depart
ment Except that of Newspapers.


ment Except that of Newspapers.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 9.-The Post Office
Department has just received the twenty
ninth annual report of the Postmaster
General of Great Britain and Ireland for
the fiscal year ended March 5lst, 1888.
From that report have been obtained the
following interesting facts and statis-
tics with regard TO the present
working of the British postal sys-
TEN. The number of letters
delivered in the United Kingdom during
the year was l,2S0, ,636, 200, an increase of
- per cent. The number of postal cards
delivered was 1440l6. POO, an increase OF
ga per cent. The number of book packets
and circulars delivered was 2SS, ,206. 400.
an increase Of 6.j per cent, and Of news
papers 1406S2, 600, a slight decrease. at
tributed to the increased facilities for
sending newspapers on railways
as parcels. The estimated average num-
/ ber ofletters carried per capita Of pOpula-
/ ton was 40 in England and Wales, 30 i'm
Scotland. 16 in Ireland, and 36 in the
/ United Kingdom. The number of regis
tered letters sent was II, ,264. .922, an IN
/ crease of $40 per cent. over the pre-
ceding year There were lj,4O6
post offices in the United King
dom, employing 44,600 permanent
/ officers who might become entitled to
/ pensions. This number included 2.56l
women, of whom 100 were clerks and ,, 1906
/ telegraphist5 or counter women. The
| retired officers numbered 1885, with
/ pensions aggTegating { 1861 ,S26 per annum.
/ The number of telegraph messages sent
/ in the United Kingdom during the year
/ was 32,0g2, ,026, an increase of 746, 1865 as
4 compared with the previous year.
/ Mr.. Fawcett says that ii has been decided
| that as soon as the necessary increase of
/ plant can be made, the minimum charge
/ for inland kilograms shall be reduced
/ from one shilling to siXpence. The busi-
ness of the postal savings banks is report
/ ed to show satisfactory progress. The
1 total amount due depositors including in
/ terest was f40,00O,000. an increase of
[ E3O0,OO9 over the preYiOns year.
\ This is the largest annual increase since
/ the establishment of the system. The de-
/ pOsits during the year We're 6,000,000 in
number and tl2, 100000 in amount, and
/ the Withdrawals 1000, ,00g in number and
! f10,000,009 i'm amount. The amount of in
terest credited to the depOsitors was
/ ES9l, ,629. On March 3lst, there were 1851
/ post office savings banks and meney order
! offices. The average amount of the seve-
/ raj deposits was e., and of the withdraw
! ais 50 5s.3d. There we're 7SS, ,SjS ac-
counts opened during the year,
/ and j37, ,494 closed leaving p
| S5S,916 accounts opened at the end
of the year, as against 2,607 ,6l2 in the
previous year. The accounts We're APP
| portioned as follows: The savings bank
! business in Ireland again showed large
increase. the number of deposits during
! the year having been 27s, ,727, amounting
to E752,673, as against Pol, l46, amounting
to e662. 10, in 1881. The total amount in
Guiding the interest due to depOsitOrs at
the end Of the year was Il, ,925, 400, as
ooainst 4 | 193 3q5 i'm 1881
| The gross revenue from the whole postal
! service during the year were over 50, 9,4l3,
| SO. and the net revenues f3,06l, ,74S, .
| decrease of t3S, 727 from that of the pre-
/ viOus year. The gross revenue from the
| telegraphs was 41, ,76S,060, and the net
1 revenue E235,5 so, as against t264, SO in
! the previous year.
This decrease is accounted for by heavy
1 additional working expenses.