The Fortieth Annual Report of the Postmaster-General was issued on
Tuesday week. The number of letters and postcards continue to increase. In 1893 there were nearly 1,812 million letters carried, nearly 249 million postcards, over 574 million book-packets, circulars, &c., about 165 million newspapers, and 54 million parcels, or in all over 2,853 million objects. That is an average of 74 objects received per annum by every per- son in the Kingdom. The total average of increase is about 3.2 per cent. The Post-Office is a very great employer of labour. Its permanent staff is 74,819 persons, the addition for the year being nearly 3,000. I•t has nearly 11,000 women in its employ. The public is taking kindly to the express service, and the in- crease there is one of 24 per cent. Last year there were nearly 200,000 express messages despatched. The advan- tages of this service, says the Report, are not confined to the transmission of letters. " 112 instance occurred a few months ago, when a young woman, who had lost her way, applied at the Swiss Cottage Post-Office and was safely conducted, for the sum of 3d., by a special messenger to Hampstead, where a receipt for her was duly obtained." The financial aide of the Post - Office, on the whole, continues satis- factory, but taking the Postal and Telegraph services together, there is an increase of 2175,000 in revenue, and of £293,000 in expenditure. It should be noted that the Report contains the official announcement of the concession as to postcards wrung from it by that intrepid controversialist, Mr. Henniker Heaton. From to-day, we are to be allowed to put
halfpenny stamps on our own cards, provided they correspond as nearly as possible to the size of an ordinary postcard ; they must not be less than 3} in. by 21. in. This is a real boon to those who use postcards.
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