Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-08
ENGLISH POsTOfFlCEs.
How the English Government Reg
ulates Its Postal Service.
A Model of Cheapness, COnven-
fence and Dispatch.
London Letter.

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London Letter.
In London one is seldom more than
10 three or four minutes brisk walk
/ from an Office for the sale of stamps
and reception of letters and not often
more than double that distance from .
telegraph Office. Indeed, John Bull
has almost gone to an extreme in max
ing his postoffce model of oheapness,
convenience and dispatch. And yet
he makes a good round profit out of it,
though it must be remarked that the
employees OF the department mostly
get very low wages. In 1881 the
receipts of the postofice department
proper-mail and money order services
only-were in round numbers $33, 800
900, and the expenditures $50, 500, 900,
leaving a net profit of 100000 for
the year. OF every dollar received
from the public for postage or money
orders, there is a net revenue Of about
thirty eight cents, while the other
sixty two cents 60 to pay expenses.
Very few commercial enterprises pay
better than that. For many years
past the United States has had large
deficits in the postal department,
though the past two or three years
have shown some improvement. Letter
postage is two cents for the first ounce
with diminishing rates up to twelve
ounces, which is the limited weight Of
letters. Between one and two ounces
the postage is three cents, and twelve
ounces may be sent for eight cents.
These rates are much lower than
our own, though distances in the
British, islands are not great. The
utmost distance a letter can trave.
here is not above 200 or 800 miles, as
compared with 1000 in the United
States. And, moreover, the British
postoffice brings your letter to your
own door, not only in cities of consid-
cradle size, but in small villages and
even in the rural districts. The only
exception to this rule is that in some
sparsely settled districts the postmau
is allowed to leave letters at certain
designated places on his route, where
they may be called for by those who
live a considerable distance from the
main road. A few years ago the rural
postman always walked, but in the last
year or two few of them have been
provided with tricicles. For the con-
venience of those who live far from
postofices, they also carry stamps and
registered letter envelopes for sale.
The fee for registered letters
is very low. | sent a registered letter
to the United States few weeks ago,
and the fee was onlyfve cents in addi-I
ton to the usual postage. For inland
letters the fee is still lower. Postal
cards, similar to our own, are sold at
a little more than one cent each.
Singly they are sold at one and half
cents each, but in packets they sell
little lower. Two kinds are used, one
a little heavier than the other. Six
thick cards are sold for eight cents
and six thin ones for seven cents. a
few months ago reply postal card,
in two sections, with a half penny
stamp on each, was introduced. but
their success has been rather doubtful.
Its generally felt thsta postal card of
uniform quality and thickness, selling
at the uniform price of halt penny
each in all quantities. would be an i'm.
provement over the present plan. |
The plan now in use is rather confus>
ing. In 1910 penny 1.-TWO cent? post
age was adopted. and the number Of let
ters increased l22 per cent the first
year and per cent more the follow
ing year. Every year since has seen
some increase, and thenumber is now
seven times as great as in 1910. The
savings bank department was added in
'6l; all telegraphs, except private wires,
were bought by the government in
1870; the life insurance and annuity
business was undertaken in 1865, and
the money order system has been at
tached to the postoffce since 1889. A
new form of money order, called
postal orders, for small sums was in
troduced at the beginning Of 1881 and
is very extensively used. The pay Of
the ordinary postofice employe is low,
and that of the pOstman or lettercar
rier is still lower. Few Of the carriers
get over $6 a week in addition to their
uniforms. The highest salary paid
them is about 1925 a week, and this is
reached only after years OF service 10
regular promotion. However, their
politics have nothing to do with OBJ.
tanning or keeping their places, which
are sure SO long as they do their work
well and honestly.