THE POST OFFICE. 271 



Office adopted the plan of making weight the sole 

 regulation of the price to be charged, commencing 

 with threepence for a parcel not exceeding three 

 pounds, and terminating with a shilling for seven 

 pounds, the greatest weight carried. 



Thus it will be observed that the difference which I 

 have pointed out between the old parcel-conveyance 

 by coach and the parcel-post is very considerable, 

 no parcel under any circumstances going for less than 

 a shilling by the coach, while nothing is charged 

 more than that by the parcel-post. 



As the reduced scale of the railways runs up to 

 weights far beyond what the parcel-post will take, 

 and also greatly lowers their charges on parcels not 

 exceeding the weight of seven pounds, there is 

 probably a brisk competition for the business. How 

 far the Post-Office undertaking may be a profitable 

 one, I have not the means of stating, and perhaps 

 sufficient time has not elapsed to form a satisfactory 

 conclusion as to its success. 



There is not now so much difference between the 

 railway charges and the parcel-post as there used to 

 be between a letter sent by post and one sent by 

 coach in a parcel ; the railways will now carry seven 

 pounds a distance of 400 miles for one shilling and 

 threepence, and the parcel-post will do it for one 

 shilling ; the postage of a letter for that distance 



