Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/327

 annum to the contractor. Would it not be possible to have these vans made at Woolwich Arsenal and driven by Post Office officials or soldiers? The Post Office has already a staff of highly skilled mechanics in its engineering department.

If the Post Office were a private business of course I would do this. Tell the writer that I will give the matter careful consideration. But it would involve such a disturbance of well-settled routine that I see little hope of adopting it.

A writer asks that registered benefit societies should be permitted to open current accounts at the Post Office Savings Banks.

I will consider this. Their money cannot harm us.

Someone alleges that the late Sir W. Harcourt thought that all Post Office expenditure for sites and buildings should be carried to a capital account and spread over several years instead of being defrayed out of current revenue.

He did; but, though a great man, he was never Postmaster-General.

Somebody at Norwich begs that the "cash on delivery" system should be introduced.

Tell him it is feared the stores would flood the country with goods and ruin local shop-keepers. I do not myself fear it, but you are not to reveal that.

One from Edinburgh begs that the commission on foreign and colonial Money Orders should be reduced. He points out that from Paris to London a penny is charged for commission on a five shilling