[469] The growth of the traffic is shown by the following table:—
| Year. | Average Annual Number of Book Packets |
|---|---|
| 1872-76 | 143,000,000 |
| 1882-86 | 323,000,000 |
| 1892-96 | 570,000,000 |
| 1900-05 | 811,000,000 |
| 1909-10 | 974,000,000 |
| 1912-13 | 1,079,000,000 |
| 1913-14 | 1,172,000,000 |
—The Post Office: An Historical Summary, London, 1911, p. 14; and Annual Reports of Postmaster-General.
[470] See First Report of the Committee on Retrenchment in the Public Expenditure, 1915 (Parliamentary Papers, Cd. 8067 and Cd. 8068); Times newspaper, 28th September 1915.
[471] A. Belloc, Les Postes françaises, Recherches historiques, Paris, 1886, p. 353.
[472] Law of 4 thermidor, an IV (22nd July 1796).
[473] P. Jaccottey, op. cit. p. 327.
[474] "Gedruckte Bücher und Aemter-Rechnungen, Akzise-, Zoll-, und Messzettel, sowie für Stempelpapier."—Archiv für Post und Telegraphie, 1880, p. 268.
[475] This rate was, e.g., 2 groschen per pound from Berlin to Xanten or Duisburg, 1 groschen to Hamburg, and 2 pf. to Spandau.—Ibid., p. 269.
[476] Ibid.