POST -OFFICE PROGRESS.
A return estimates the number of chargeable letters delivered in the United Kingdom in the year 1853 at 410,817,489; being 30,000,000 more than the deliveries of 1852, and two-and-a-half fold the number delivered in the first year of the penny postage. The net revenue (for the United Kingdom) for the year ending the Sib January 1854 was 1,039,6161.; being an increase of 74,000/. over the profit of 1853. In 1839, the last year of the high rates of postage, the net revenue was 1,614,353/. ; showing that 600,000/. has still to be made good to bring up the net revenue to its dormer point. The progression is satisfactory. In 1841, the net revenue was 410,0281.; in 1854, as already stated, it was 1,039.616/. In 1853-'54 the payments to railway companies amounted to 374,859/. The money-orders issued in the year ending 31st December 1853 amounted to 5,215,290, the value being 9,916,195/. The increase over 1852 is 267,465 orders, and in money 457,918/. In 1840, the orders amounted to 188,921, the value to 313,124/. ; in 1853 the increase may be taken ab thirty fold. The profit in the money-order department is put down at 14,149!.; being 4000/. more than in 1852. Compared with the population, it appears that in 1853 the issue of money-orders in England and Wales was as one money-order to every four persons; in Ireland, as one to every thirteen persons; in Scot- land, as one to every seven persons.
Previous page
