The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-05-20
FOREMOST IN LETTER WRITING.
United States First Among Nations in
Respect to COrresDnndence.

Respect to Correspondence.
| There are 100000 post offices in all
The countries of the world enjoying or
yanized facilities of correspondence,
ard of this number 10000 are in the
United States. In respect to the num-
Der of letters and postal cards written
and received, the revenue and dsburse-
ments of the department, the extent.
promptness and accuracy of letter de-
livery, as well as the number of post
offices, the United States stands at the
head of all other nations, Germany fol-
lowing second, Great Britain third,
and Austria, among European nations,
fourth. The United States sells in a
year 1000, 100000 twO-cent stamps,
which is equivalent to 1,000,OO0,O9O let
ters sent through the mails in a year.
In addition to this the United States sells
| in a year 100000 One-cent stamps, some
Of which are used for letters, though a
larger number for newspaper and cir
cular postage, 100000 three-cent
stamps, 20,000.00O four-cent stamps, and
50,0OO,00O tive-cent stamps, mostly used
for letters sent from this country for
foreign delivery. More then 10000
900 letters a year, therefore, paying full
postage, and exclusive of postal cards,
are written in theUnited States.
! The business of the German and of
the English post Office department is
less than half as large. The postal card
system in Germany is in much more
general use than in England, and it is
for this reason, perhaps, that Germany
keeps ahead of England in respect to
the amount of correspondence done.
The number of post offices in Great
Britain by the last official statement,
made on January l, 1897, was 20.275, ex
elusive of what is officially called in
England the road and pillar letter
box" There are 150,0O0employes of the
post office department in Great Britain,
| OF whom $500 are women and girls
The number of post office employees in
Germany, where telegraphic commune
cation is a part of the post office system,
is 125,000. The number of letters
handled By the Austrian post Office de-
partment in year is 750,000,O0O, and of
these two-thirds are handled in that
portion of the empire which comes I'M
der the designation of Austria and one
third only is handled in the portion Of
ficially known as Hungary The Ger
mans in Austria, as well as in Germany,
are great letter writer's, and in those
cities of the United States in which the
German population is numerous more
letters are written in year proportion
ately than in cities in which the German
population is small.
The Italian post office handles 35O,-
100000 letters a year, the post office
department OF Spain, 12O.O0O.OOO. of
Canada 100000 of Holland 100. OOO,-
900, of Belgium 125,OOO. 900, and of Rus
STA 2OO,000,000, a considerable proper
ton of which is carried on what are
called 1.-The mail coach roads," upon
which postal service the imperial GOV
eminent maintains $4,000 horses. In
France the number of letters handled
by the post office department is about
l1OO,OOO,OO0 in year and the receipts of
the department are about $35 .OOO. 900, OF
one-half of those of the United States.
The French government, however, does
a considerable express business. hand
ling more than 4O,00O,O00 parcels. or at
the rate of one to each inhabitant Of
the country in each year The expendi-
lures of the post office department in
the United States exceed the receipts by
from $S,000,00O to $10,O0O.O0O in an or
binary year When times are bad there
Is less corresponding done.-N. y. Sun.