Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/769

 POST 74:9 in the revenue ; but this deficiency soon disap- peared. .The number of chargeable letters sent through the mails has increased from 76,000,000 in 1838 (the last complete year under the old system) to about 907,000,000 in 1873 (besides" 72,000,000 post cards, 129,- 000,000 book packets, and 125,000,000 news- papers), and the gross revenue from 2,346,- 000 to 5,348,040, while the net revenue also shows an increase. The head of the British post office department is the postmaster gen- eral, who is always a peer of the realm, and generally, though not necessarily, a cabi- net minister. There are three general post offices, in London, Edinburgh, and Dublin. In 1855 pillar letter boxes were introduced, and London was divided into ten districts, for greater facility in the distribution of city letters. The rates of postage are as follows : on inland letters not exceeding 1 oz. Id., not exceeding 2 oz. l$d., and d. for every additional 2 oz., except that letters weighing over 12 oz. are charged at the rate of Id. an ounce. If the postage is not prepaid, double rates will be charged on delivery. The postage on news- papers anywhere within the country is a half- penny each, which must be prepaid by adhe- sive stamp or stamped wrapper. No package of newspapers must exceed 2 ft. in length, or 1 ft. in width or depth, or 14 Ibs. in weight. Unsealed packets of books, paper, printed mat- ter, manuscript, circulars, or photographs will be transmitted, if prepaid, at the rate of d. for every 2 oz. or fraction of that weight. Packages posted unpaid will be charged double this rate. No packet of printed matter must exceed 5 Ibs. in weight, or 18 in. in length, or 6 in. in depth, or 9 in. in width. The frank- ing privilege having been abolished, no matter is transmitted free except addresses to the queen and petitions to parliament, and these must be in covers left open at the ends, and must contain no letters. The fee for register- ing a letter, newspaper, book, or other pack- age, to be sent to any place within the United Kingdom or colonies, is 4d. in addition to the ordinary postage, and must be prepaid. Post- al cards may be used only in the United King- dom ; they are sold in packets only at 6%d. a dozen. The money order office, which had previously been conducted as a private enter- prise by three clerks in the post office, became an official department under the postmaster general in 1838. In 1840 the charge, which had before been somewhat higher, was fixed at 3d. for sums not exceeding 2, and 6d. for those over 2 and not exceeding 5. The present rates for inland money orders range from Id. on sums under 10s. to Is. for 10, which is the maximum amount for which an order will be issued. Foreign money or- ders are granted between the United Kingdom and Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hol- land, Italy, Switzerland, Constantinople, Gib- raltar, and Malta, at rates ranging from 9d. for 2 to 35. for 10 ; also for most of the British 678 VOL. xin. 48 colonies, including India, and Egypt and the United States, at rates ranging from Is. for 2 to 4*. for 10. The money order business with the colonies began in 1856, and with foreign countries in 1869. Since the establishment of the system the business has increased with re- 'markable rapidity. In 1873 there were is- sued 15,118,636 inland money orders, amount- ing to 25,600,069, besides 165,807 colonial orders (including those issued in the United Kingdom and in the colonies), amounting to 671,131, and 147,802 foreign orders, to the amount of 531,064. In 1868 parliament au- thorized the postmaster general to purchase the telegraphic lines in the United Kingdom and operate them as a part of the postal ser- vice, for the purpose of giving the public in- creased facilities for telegraphic communica- tion at reduced rates. To carry out this plan, the postmaster general was empowered to bor- row 7,000,000. The government obtained possession of the lines in 1870, comprising 22,036 m. of line, 95,637 m. of wire, and 4,119 stations. In 1873 the number of miles of wire had been increased to more than 105,000, and the number of offices to nearly 5,600. The charge for the transmission of a message to any point in the United Kingdom is 1*. for the first 20 words, and 3d. for every additional 5 words. Messages, written on stamped cards and forms, may be deposited in a letter box, and are despatched from the nearest postal telegraph office immediately after collection. News and other communications for news- papers may also be forwarded by telegraph. Nearly 18,000,000 messages were sent in 1873, exclusive of those for the press, which amounted to nearly 38,000,000 words. Post office savings banks were established in 1861 for the purpose of affording to the laboring classes more adequate facilities and better se- curity for saving their earnings. Deposits of Is. and upward are received at all money order offices which are also post office savings banks. Interest is allowed at the rate of 2-fr per cent, on each complete pound. The number of post office savings banks had increased in 1873 to 4,853, and the amount of deposits to 7,- 955,740, the average amount being 2 14s. Qd. The interest credited to depositors amounted to 477,851. The post office department is authorized to insure the lives of persons be- tween the ages of 16 and 60 years, for not less than 20 nor more than 100, and to issue immediate or deferred annuities of not more than 50 on persons between the same ages, thus affording direct government security for the payment of such money. The post office also issues for the inland revenue department licenses on male servants, horse dealers, car- riages, dogs, &c. The number of post offices in the United Kingdom in the beginning of 1874 was 12.500, of which nearly 880 were head offices ; there were also nearly 9,000 road let- ter boxes, making the whole number of postal receptacles nearly 21,500, of which more than