Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1898. POST AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.

Evening Post, Volume LVI, Issue 17, 20 July 1898, Page 4

Evening Post. WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 1898. POST AND TELEGRAPH SERVICES.

» The general tenor of the PostmasterGeneral's annual report is satisfactory, and the result of the year's working speaks well for the energy of the Department. The net revenue derived from the Postal and Telegraphic branches is appreciably greater than last year, but it is to be hoped thai this gain has not been effected at the expense of overworking officers of the Department. From information which has reached us at different times we are inclined to believe that overwork is frequently exacted. Any increase of revenue acquired at such a cost should uot be held as in any way redounding to the credit of the Government. With regard to the net balance in favour of revenue to the extent of some £43,000, Me report not only makes it entirely duo to the Postal branch, but also shows a loss on the Telegraphic work of more than £30,000, which has to bo made up from Postnl receipts before the final balance for the Department is struck. This etatement is rather startling,

and, iMoreo\i>r, very obviously mm its tho olliei il book. |1 will (herefori! require. <-.wH ul invi"-li'.rilio!i, and we hope to doal with it more fully at no very distant da to. The :t mount, of uoilc performed by tho stall" m:i\ be judged fioiii the fact that the increase in llms number of letters and other nriieles handled amounted to more than 5,500,000, or nc:irl> 10 per fent. ovor hint ye.ir. The. « i ons(>fju«nt iiiwuas-i} in expenditure wa i s only ■'! per rent. This is highly creditable to 'tho oflieers of 11m |)i>- ! p.'il'tiiK'iil. but the public will be anxious lo jenow vilii-tlier it h;iv put an unwarrantable strain upon them beyond what the .Stale, le;isti ol' all cinployi I'm, i i ; i h a right lo demand. The iii'iti'iim- in tho number of (ele^r.iins seems to have been very largo, am! I hat. makes it Ihe more didicull, to understand tho heavy lusk all»sged to havo been incurred by tlw Teltigrnpliic. branch, ft is noticeable llmta Hum equal to U.'»"7f> per eeul. of the cash rceeijil,* in |<>u| |,o I lie Department by the franking of ollicial eorrespoii'lenee and tele^r.niis. Thorn in a very laii'i! decrease in the valuo ol officially I ranked posi.il matter, thiidifViirciicc botweeil IHUb'anil IHU'7 amounting to nearly £10,000, but the value of the, (iovernment, lcli>^iaiiix hai* risen by pome CHOO. Perhaps the reason for this decrease on llio oms band and increase on Iho other may be accounted for by tho Premier's journeying. J J is absence would naturally inako Ilio ollicial correspondence; far less voluminous, whilo it would jilho entail upon Ina colleagues a great amount of telegraphic communication lor the Premier's iiilorination and their own requests for instruct ions. One ol the. most, gratifying Coat urns of tho report in the prosperous ulali! of tiiu Savings HiV.k. Tl. ore seems to liavo boon a steady i'ie.roas'o in \\u>. deposits, uhich now amount to littlo short of J:r> ,000,000. This iue.rejiso has boon effected in .spile of the lowering of the interest paid to depositors in November last. A temporary withdrawal of accounts apparently did take, place, but the recovery was rapid. The number of account*- shown that nearly one qiiart/crof the popiihi l.ion avail t.iiemse! vt.s of this means of employing small wuiiij^. Naturally the transactions arc small, the average deposit ranging below £12; but ntill when taken in the, lump then; umall sums earn a considerable amount of interest. It would be interesting to examine how far the accounts in the Savings Bank are. n;preHttiitalivo of the. savings of the class lor whom they are intended. The Premier claims, the. increase as acign of the prosperity of the uorkini; .ilassci, but it is asserted by others that the greater part of the deposits are not field by such people at all. The cost ot the Savings Hank !;■•? !>"en commcndably low, aboi v £15,000 being paid to revenue as [ tho re.suit of the year's transactions.