SOME SECRETS OF THE POSTOFFICE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2457, 20 November 1886, Page 2

SOME SECRETS OF THE POSTOFFICE.

Tho estimates for the revenue depart" ment for the year ending March 31,1887' have just been published, previous to their discussion in Parliament. If a suburban postmaster is to get an increase in his waces ot one shilling a week, down it has to so in the estimates. In Ireland the Post Office pays £1 a year for water, firo insurance and tithes, so little fault can be found with that item on tho ground of being excessive- ' It has tho honour of having a heading in capitals all to itself. One interesting estimato is that for tho manufacture of stamps, cards, wrappers, envelopes, registered letter envelopes, postal orders, <k, which is as follows for the year 1886-87 :~ Postal cards, stout, L 43,000; postal cards, thin, L 16.000; postal cards, thin, foreign, L 1,000; wator-markod paper for adhesive stamps, L 10.000; printing and gumming adhesive stamps, L 24.000; j envelopes, L 53000; wrappers, L 36.000; dies and plates, L 1200; paper for printing postal orders, LIG.OOO; registered lettor envelopes, L 5500; this comes to L 158,200, as against L 157,000 last year. It is generally believed that at the Queon's Jubilee next year new postage stamps, as well as new coins will be issued, on which Her Majesty's head will bo changed from the young girl it now appears to one in accordance with a reign of half a century. Nothing of this, howevor, appears in the estimates. New dies and plates, which cost L3OOO this year, are estimated at LBOO less for 1887. The contracts for the conveyance of mails by sea are numerous, the heaviest beiug botween Brindisi and Bombay, calling "at Aden; and between Brindiai and Shanghai, calling at Aden, Point de Galle or Colombo, Penang, Singapore, and Hongkong, via the .isthmus of Suez. These cost L 360.000, and form the entire service for Asia. The next most considerable amount is LIOO.OOO for conveyance of the mails between the United Kingdom and the United States. This is a reduction of L 16,000 from the amount voted last year. Between England and the West India Islands the cost is L 90,200, an increase of LI 1,975 compared with 1885-6. Between Holyhead and Kingstown the mails are conveyed at an annual cost of L 84,000, the estimate being for tho same amount as was granted tor this year. The above are the largest amounts; they descent rapidly until tho lowest is reached, which is Lls per annum for carrying the mails between Foynes, Kilrush and Kilkee, in Ireland,