THE POST OFFICE

Evening Post, Issue 50, 27 August 1935, Page 4

THE POST OFFICE

THEEE'/CENTTDEiES i OLB

BmTISH-GELEBRATiON

:! On July 31 the General, Post Office celebrated the. tercentenary of its existence as a State postal service. Throughout the servicel .-.the : day was being, appropriately observed, says "The Times.'.1 The chief post offices in London and other centres' were gaily decorated; a message; of congratulation from the. King to i the PostmasterGeneral, Major G. C. Tryoh, was dis-. played in the windows of 23,000 post offices in the United Kingdom; and ■in the; afternoon- Major Tryori addressed many thousands of the employees by means of a ;i, complete broadcasting system, uistalled by service engineers, Unking up twenty-seven .provincial centres with London -and involving telephone circuits with .over -35,000 miles, of - wire^ ■•'■' ■'-.■■■'■. : v^'; ''V.:;. •: ■• '-•■".'

V The' King's message was as follows: ;-':: '■<{-'-."■'■{-. . ; ■■/'•■",'.,... Buckingham Palace. On July;3l .the. British Post-Omce will its. 300 th anniyersary, and it gives me;much pleasure :,va this Jubilee Year to send a ...message pf congratiilation and 'good wishes to the many thousands of all ranks in the PostOfficeService. .v; "■■ '■'■ ■''■;{ ■■ ?';■:"•

; Every, household is made daiiy/ aware of: the efficiency of their, work, which is carried out with -a:: punctuality .-and a cheerfulness 'that commands the;admiration; and; gratitude of; the public.

'Although marked; progress .has recently 'been.made, 1 feel:sure: that.the next- few;:; years^ ; will'witness still.fur--improyements "■: .designed:;to ■ meet the , requirements 0f'...-"the": millions to whom the Post Office Service ■ means sp:.much^:-;.: ::-C-':;~: ;; ■•;3^.-.'.;';-^-;v^":;'; :^':':r-::-xd:':S- '■■:[- ■^\C:'::: George'-R.i.;". ■:'The':histbryjof.the British posUdfservice. began;;.with the- proclamation :by Charles';l; on;: July 31; .16^5; apppihting Thomas ;.Witoerings ito man^e';;tii&:'fbsi|f;':S^t€\se)^ce'!f6r\-tbe, cbnyeyance of: private'lettos; in England arid /Spotlarid. r Thomas.:; Wither-' ingsffiu's became the first Postmaster-: General.- For more than-.100 •yearsibefore '.-this.- date: -there %■ had. -.»been 'an prgahised.-system ybi posts for: the' carriage:■;and;: distribution of State, docu-: meats', and;correspondence, 'from;point tp . pomt,.in: Great; Britamv and f-to; and from V- other: ;cpiinfeies; r ;;'/ This; '[ service wasunderithe'contrprof afMasterjof PostsKfpr England ;and^ Scptiand ■ fc.;; Foreign Parts in the; King's, Dominions,": ah: appoihtnientheld ,'fpr a .time .by; ; 'liofd Stanhope -pf Harrington.;,: But inll632:a .separateand distinct, appjointi meht of'"Master- of "Posts; for! Foreign Parts but of the King's pominions'.^ was j granted, by letters;patent,-to f Witoerihgs and^bne^William Frizeli;;f(^/K;v;;,:;t^':

:'•; Witherings;appears;toihavejbeeh the dominant..;: partner.- .As ;Ppst> master, he organised by .1633 a-packet service to fVarice-and the Netherlands for,- the conveyance..;^ private ■letters, his 'organisation*including not only posts to Dover and' across the Channel but- also' posts established in:. those ' countries.-:' Then'-i-heVi-turned his'attention'; to; ;the;: service, in) this country; where, in addition, to an unofficial {use of -the State; systemt.pf. cohyeyanc?. for private lettersV there-wasa system■under': which- Jand manufacturers sent' cdrrespondeiice by. packmen/; carriers, .;and;ships'.;;captains who (conveyed goods on : ,their .behalf, i }Sr^Lbrd !■■Stanhope was';.sUll"the;;.ihiand and Colpnieil Master ;of^^;Posts;'fof StatQ dispatches. when Wittierings: took; over the -Inland..and. .-..Colonial. ;service-,for, private; letters in '1635,: hi -addition to. His duties as: Foreignf Mas*6l of Posts for bqth:Stete hand; V private correspondence,/but after; Lord Stanhope's dismissal Witherings took over all the posts/;: Among the orders in his fiist ordinance was one prescribing a rate of -travelling for the letter post of seven miles an hour in summer and five in winter. When he addressed his broadcast message to the employees of the service—many of them from outlying districts assembled at convenient centres, where loud-speakers were attached to the telephone—Major Tryon reviewed the history and the growth of the British- Post Office. ,/.