The post office and its story an interesting account of the activities of a great government department

Outside a local post office, in the flowing handwriting of the postmaster, appeared this notice:— NOTICE HOURS OF COLLECTION First collection: In Summer— Morning at 5 o'clock. ” ” In Winter— The night before at nine o'clock. Like Homer, the local post office often nods. Sometimes the Head Office nods too. Years ago there used to be a poster which was displayed at every post office, headed “Advantages to Depositors,” and these advantages were carefully numbered. They amounted to eighteen, neither more nor less. But the eighteenth was that “Additional information can be obtained of any local postmaster or by application free of cost at 144A Queen Victoria Street, E.C.” This was not a very happy ending to one of the few efforts made by the Department to advertise its wares.