SUNDAY LETTERS IN LONDON.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your article in last week's Spectator on the new postal telephone service is very interesting, and I think your con- clusions are correct. I think, however, it is due to the com- pany of which I have been chairman for nineteen years past, the District Messenger Company, to say that it was the first organisation to attempt to deal with this question of urgent Sunday messages. Of course, to telephone to the office nearest the receiver of the message means the instantaneous despatch of a messenger-boy, who could bring back and telephone back any reply. May I point out, too, another method which in urgent cases is very useful,—viz., train letters ? In that case, however, the sender must either wire or telephone for a messenger to meet the train on arrival, and the letter should be addressed to its destination "per District Messenger boy meeting train." Sunday means of communication are still very antiquated, but I think District Messengers can fairly claim credit for having been the pioneers in improving them. My interest in all that pertains to the efficiency of
the District Messenger Service is my excuse for troubling P.S.—For years past we have also sent cycle-messengers out of London to bring messages, &c., back ; on one occasion I remember having sent all the way to Newmarket. This is, of course, more expensive, but is sometimes the only way.
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