[APPENDIX TO CHAPTER XVI.]
GENERAL PROGRESS.
Having narrated the transfer of the Money Order Department to my superintendence, I now proceed to more general transactions, and for their description give the following letter to Mr. Baring:—
“General Post Office, January 24th, 1848.
“My dear Sir,—I think the enclosed will interest you. You will not fail to remark the effect of the do-nothing policy of 1842, and of all, except the latter part, of 1843. The great increase in subsequent years is owing mainly to the extension of the rural distribution, which goes on with such rapidity that in the last year we brought more than one thousand places within the range of the Post Office system. No one would now question the policy of the measure which you proposed, except, perhaps, on the ground that it did not go far enough.
“The increased facilities afforded of late years are proving far more profitable than even I had anticipated.
“The revenue of the past year will probably be about £2,220,000 gross, and £1,030,000 net. The gross revenue is as large as it was in 1834, and within 5 per cent. of what it was in 1837. The current year will probably give an amount equal to 1837, thus realising my anticipations of gross revenue. The net revenue will be about £200,000 less than I calculated; but in my opinion the expenses have been needlessly increased to that extent. The same gross revenue as in 1837 was, according to my calculation, to be the result of a five-fold increase of letters; it will have been brought about by a 4⅔-fold increase.
“Faithfully yours,
“Rowland Hill.”
ENCLOSURE.