The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government departmentBennett, Edward
History
The post office and its story : $b an interesting account of the activities of a great government department
Bennett, Edward
Postal service -- Great Britain -- History
To the outsider the business of the Department may seem to consist
mainly of the simple work of receiving and paying away money, but the
correspondence with the public on matters arising out of their accounts
is a huge item in the day's work. Correspondence is necessary on such
subjects as depositors insane, depositors abroad, depositors married,
husbands' claims, depositors deceased, lost deposit-books, fraudulent
withdrawals, and “depositors apprehensive.” The difficulties and
perplexities of the British public on the subject of money are known to
no person more fully than the Controller of the Post Office Savings
Bank. He is sometimes tempted to wonder what are the benefits achieved
by the Compulsory Education Acts. For instance a depositor writes: “I
received from your General Post Office a paper containing all about
Stock, and I do not quite understand it, whether it is for land, corn,
or silk stuffs. As I am taking up in it will you kindly write and let me
know.” Many farmers who are familiar only with one application of the
word “Stock” have desired to make purchases of cattle through the medium
of the Post Office. And one lady who had exceeded the amount allowed in
her deposit account was asked if she would like to invest the excess in
Stock, and she replied regretfully that her garden was already full up,
and she had no room for more.
A depositor who had presumably suffered from recent fluctuations of
price in the Stock market wrote a letter to the Controller and addressed
the envelope: “The Roleing Stock Department, General Post Office.” It
was delivered in the first place, of course, to the Stores Department,
General Post Office.
A large proportion of the depositors are still unable to read or write.
A man, not connected with any Savings Bank account himself, wrote on
behalf of a depositor and explained his action in this way: “I 'ad the
whole business thro' my 'and cos he was an ilitrate.” This is clearly a
case where a little knowledge may produce a swollen head.
“I am married and wish to carry on as before,” wrote a lady depositor.
This is not the first time a daughter of Eve has made the effort to eat
her cake and have it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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