REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. 

 3. For Government exchanges. 



103 



RECAPITULATIOX . 



.. In the year 1881 special attention was invited to the large increase 

 in the reception of excbauge parcels, the number for that year, 1881^ 

 being 43,101; in 1882 this had increased to 58,047 ; in 1883 to 63,894; 

 aud in 1884 to 65,170. In the report for 1882 it was respectfully sug- 

 gested that the receiving and distributing of all the incoming exchanges 

 be made a separate division of the service, and placed in the hands of 

 a tried competent assistant, since on the prompt aud accurate per- 

 formance of this duty depends the punctuality of shipments of foreign, 

 domestic, and Government document exchanges. 



Taking the present status of incoming parcels, we now receive on an 

 average over 200 parcels per day. These have to be assorted, arranged, 

 compared with the invoice — if such has been furnished, otherwise an 

 invoice has to be prepared — provided with the number corresponding to 

 the respective address in the list of foreign correspondents and in the 

 card catalogue, and distributed in the bins to await their turn of ship- 

 ment. Thus far this work has been performed — mostly at the expense 



