[625] See supra, p. [127], n. 2, and infra, p. [334].
[626] In this number 35.5 million undelivered packets and 124.5 million redirected packets are included twice. The service performed in respect of both these classes of packet is, however, at least twice as great as that performed in respect of an ordinary packet; and as it is desired to estimate the cost of the normal service, no adjustment of the numbers is made on this account.
The total number actually delivered was 3,477,800,000, but of these, 162.3 millions were foreign and colonial letters. As the number of foreign and colonial letters despatched (184.3 millions) exceeds the number received, and a foreign or colonial letter received plus a foreign or colonial letter delivered may be taken as equivalent to an inland letter fully dealt with, the number delivered in the United Kingdom has been adjusted by adding half the difference between the number of foreign and colonial letters despatched and received respectively.
[627] Number of postcards delivered, 926.5 millions.
Number of foreign and colonial postcards delivered in the United Kingdom, 23.3 millions; number despatched, 18.8 millions.
[628] Number of packets actually delivered, 1,172.3 millions.
Number of foreign and colonial packets of printed matter, commercial papers, and samples received, 44.7 millions; number despatched, 122.9 millions.
[629] Number of parcels delivered, 132,700,000. Number of foreign and colonial parcels received, 1,991,975; number despatched, 3,917,860.
[630] This definition indicates the strict nature of "forward" packets. In practice it is, however, impracticable to divide postal packets precisely on these lines, and the actual statistics of "forward" packets are not exactly accurate. The practical division approximates, however, to the line of the exact division.