POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHIC.

Thames Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 10591, 8 September 1906, Page 2

POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHIC.

The report of thie Post amd Tdegpaph! Depiartniieint just ■issued receivies ami added! interest from the proposed reforms ia the service indioated by the Premier in hisi Financial Statement- Generally speaking the results set forth in the report are extremely satisfactory- The past year Was itni all particiuliajrs a record oneThe balance -of .revenue -over expenditure—'£'lo:6,lsl for the- combined Depaa-bmient—is the largest evef seciuiredi in- this country- The .•estimate of revenue for the year was exceeded by nearly £30,000 j and while the earningsi for the year show an in-crease-of £51,572' over the previous year, this corresponding increase of expenditure was only £18,805- Even in, the .iTe-legfaipli Department, where a 'deficiency isi neairly always looked foil, thle balance of eixpemdi.tiu.re over receipt's 1 was only £2660; land the report 'States -that n> small surplus on teilegraipih.s aiocoaint may reasonably be etxpeoted this year- We may asisume, however, that these estimate's do not take into' account the change proposed by thb Piremiei* in the way of reduced clhiaa-g-eis- for letters' above th:e standaird Aviedght and telegi^ams beyond the sibatutory length;- Sir Joseph Ward has already 'explained that al loss of £4000 on the postal service and £3000 on teilegramis anay be expected i-f these nedaictions aa'e made- But he added that we may expect thle inclr'eased ibuisintes® to make up this deficit Avithin twelve or eighteien months'* ■ tdim©; and, considering the napid gpowthi of public 'business undea- the .control of the. D'epiartment, we m-ay faMy anticipate that these expectations will be realised-