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1
435
Her Majesty's Mails
·
William Lewins
226
The
Duke
of
Argyll
is
also
favourably
remembered
in
the
metropolitan
offices,
for
having
granted--to
the
major
establishment
at
any
rate--the
boon
of
a
Saturday
half-holiday.
But
perhaps
his
Grace
laboured
most
arduously
to
bring
about
a
more
satisfactory
relation
between
the
railway
companies
and
the
Post-Office.
Since
the
advent
of
cheap
postage,
nothing
had
so
much
impeded
the
progressive
development
of
the
Post-Office,
as
the
adverse
attitude
of
the
companies
who
must
convey
the
mails,
now
that
all
other
modes
of
conveyance
had
been
virtually
superseded
by
the
power
of
steam.
Although
the
Postmaster-General
failed
in
this
instance,
he
is
none
the
less
entitled
to
the
gratitude
of
the
country
for
his
well-meant
attempt
to
repair
the
mistake
which
the
Executive
originally
made
in
not
carefully
providing
for
the
public
service.
Few
could
say
that
the
existing
law
was,
and
is,
not
defective.
The
gain
to
the
Post-Office
through
railways
is
certainly
enormous:
besides
the
advantage
of
increased
speed,
they
make
it
possible
to
get
through
the
sorting
and
the
carrying
of
the
mails
at
the
same
time.
But
here
the
gain
ends;
and
the
cost
for
the
service
really
done
is
heavy
beyond
all
proportion.
The
cost
of
carrying
mails
by
coaches
averaged
twopence
farthing
a
mile;
the
average
cost
under
railways
is
tenpence
a
mile,
some
railways
charging
nearly
five
shillings
per
mile
for
the
service
they
render.
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