The Annual Report of the Postmaster. General was issued on
Wednesday, and is full, as usual, of curious and instructive reading. While the number of letters shows only a fractional increase per cent., and an actual decrease of 1.52 per cent. in London—accounted for by the use of the telephone and stagnation in trade — there has been an increase of 16 per cent, in express messages, and 25 per cent. in postcards. This latter increase is due to the immense popularity of pictorial postcards, which show a tendency to displace letters as well as official post- cards. An increase has also taken place in the number of undelivered packets, and letters insufficiently addressed or not addressed at all,—the last-named amounting to no fewer than 379,426, 4,190 of which contained valuable contents, amounting to 210,000 in cash, notes, and remittances. Apropos of the nuisance of foreign lottery circulars, the Postmaster-General observes that, while many are sent in sealed covers without disclosing their nature, he fully exer- cises his power to destroy those enclosed in open covers. We also note with interest the favourable report on the progress in the employment of motor-vans, and the hope which is expressed of arriving before long at a satisfactory arrange- ment with the Commonwealth Government to establish a penny post with Australia. In the Savings Bank Department the deposits have been less by 21,359,797 than in the previous year, the withdrawals exceeding the deposits by £1,928,819; and there has been a decrease of 2.7 per cent. in the telegrams passed over the Post Office wires.
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