As a matter of fact, the anticipated number will not reach a score, I should say. The number of part-timers was 550; and the number of posts reduced in frequency has been 1,350. We have followed in this retrenchment a very carefully thought out plan provided by our predecessors. In estimating the value of rural posts or post offices certain figures had to be produced, and if these figures did not materialise retrenchment followed. We have not departed from that plan in this retrenchment, and as a matter of fact we find that the same thing is in operation in England at present. Even there in that wealthy State with its big Post Office service, this retrenchment is in full operation. The allowance made here in estimating the value of rural post is 2d. per letter and 4d. per parcel.
The figure followed by England in pre-war days was a halfpenny per letter and one penny per parcel. If the former rates of 2d. and 4d. did not in themselves suffice to pay the wages of a rural post, the postman in that walk is curtailed to four, three or two days per week, according to the output. In this reduction we have avoided any curtailment as far as factories, creameries, and industries of that kind are concerned, even though these result in a loss. In many of the provincial towns we have found it advisable to reduce the number of deliveries from three to two, or from two to one per day. We consider that one delivery per day is ample—more than ample in most cases, for our experience is that our staff are engaged in distributing English advertisement matter or bills. We cannot afford to pay a staff for a repetition of this work, at least unnecessary repetition, and we have reduced these posts in the provincial towns, but in order to enable shopkeepers and business people generally to get their post with reasonable frequency, we have introduced that system which operates very fully in Australia, known as private boxes. We have tried to get every merchant or shopkeeper, one might reasonably say, to secure one of these boxes, and to add to the convenience, also a private bag. The former cost of a private box was £3 10s. a year, and in order to encourage him to avail of that new departure we have reduced that charge to £2 2s. In the case of private bags we have reduced the fee from £1 10s. to £1 1s. These charges are lower than operate in England at the moment. It has been frequently suggested to us that we should bring about a reduction in the postal rates. That reduction would mean, if it were to fall to the English level, a loss to the revenue of £300,000.
This is a matter, I think, for the Minister for Finance, I should say, more than for the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs. If the Minister for Finance at any time thinks the finances of the State can afford to drop £300,000, that is his affair. I should say, however, that whilst comparisons are made between the postage rates operating in this country and those in England, that the position here is quite as favourable as in most other countries—in fact, I do not know of any country in which the position is favourable, except England. For instance, in Australia, Belgium, Holland, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland, the current rate is 2d.; in Denmark, France, Norway, and Spain, 2½d., and in Italy 5d. Twopence for a letter pretty well corresponds to the increase in cost of living, as against 1d. in pre-war days. I do not know whether the State would be justified in giving a definite grant, because that is what it means, to one section of the community, I mean the commercial section. However, that is a matter for the Minister for Finance and the Dáil. In another direction, that of parcels post, we have felt that the time has come to give a definite lift to trade, as far as the Post Office is able to do that. For some years past it is clear to everybody that this country is being flooded by English parcel post. That increase, I think, has resulted very largely from the increased circulation of English newspapers here, and, with the increased circulation of newspapers, an increase in the circulation of circulars. As a matter of fact, at present we receive from England almost twice the amount of mail which we send to that country. We consider the time has come when definite encouragement should be given to warehouses, and to the smaller people in this country who may be inclined to use the parcel post to do so. We have decided, subject to the final approval of the Minister for Finance—and I think we may take it his approval will be forthcoming—to reduce the parcel post rate to the English level. On the other hand, it is proposed to impose a charge of 6d. for examination and delivery. This charge will apply equally to all external countries. We have found recently that it is possible, and quite feasible, to extend the night mail train service, and bring it back to pre-war days, and also to restore later on the parcel post on Good Fridays, and on certain Bank Holidays. These services are not as general in the neighbouring countries as they are here. It is a concession which is not enjoyed to that extent in Great Britain.
Also we have availed of the opportunity of the increased number of Sunday trains to send letters not only to important parts of the country but outside the country. In other words, whenever a Sunday train runs we avail of it for the carrying of communications. One could not expect that we should go to the expense of running mail trains on Sundays. I do not believe that that will ever be reverted to. It was a very expensive medium, and the volume of correspondence was necessarily small, nor is it under consideration or in contemplation at the moment to extend the Sunday postal arrangements beyond their present limits.
Representations were made to me during the year to facilitate people attending fairs. Formerly there was no differentiation, as far as the Post Office was concerned, between a fair day and an ordinary day. We have come to the conclusion that a fair day is a very exceptional occasion, and that everything possible ought to be done to enable cattle dealers, pig dealers, and others to get through their work, and we have as a consequence agreed to an earlier opening of the Post Offices on these occasions. During the year direct mail services were inaugurated between this country and France, Germany, the United States, Canada, and Newfoundland, and we are considering the making up of these services to Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and the Federated Malay States. It may not be understood that the system prevailing in the service at the time of our predecessors necessitated the transhipping, so to speak, or the re-sorting of Irish mails in London. This meant a certain amount of delay, and it was open to risk from other standpoints. At any rate, I think it will be agreed that we have had some justification for making up direct mails with a great many countries. This policy is being followed. The same applies, of course, to parcels. The question of aerial mails came up at frequent intervals during the last twelve months, and we felt after going into the matter very fully that we would not be justified in recommending any aerial scheme involving money. It has been tried on certain short routes, and it is not voted a success; as a matter of fact it has been dropped in a few cases. We have, however, brought to the notice of some Continental countries, and England, the advantages which may be derived from an aerial service between Cobh and their respective capitals, and this matter was taken into consideration by more than one country. I do not think that it can be regarded as finally disposed of yet. We stand to gain no advantage from a service of this kind, except the fact that it would result in more mail steamers calling to our southern port.
It will be observed that we have gone in for a system of motor vehicles. We find these economical. We find that we have been, by the extended use of these light motor vehicles, able to extend the time of posting in Dublin and elsewhere, and we intend to extend that system. Likewise we have, I think, stood alone in introducing motor cycles for the delivery of telegrams. The former system here had been to transmit these telegrams from the central office to the sub-offices, resulting in loss of time and loss of money. The system of motor cycles has proved itself to be far more advantageous, and more economic, not only in time, but also in money, and this system is being extended until such time as the sub-offices, which in Dublin formerly handled something like four or five thousand telegrams a day, will be discontinued for that purpose. During the year we restored communication to 518 telegraph offices and 300 railway signal cabins. These were the residue of destroyed offices not dealt with in the last report. At present we are arranging to re-fit coastal life-saving services to the number of 100 circuits. These will also be utilised for coastguard purposes, I expect, later on. The subject was discussed on another Vote the other day.
We have devoted a certain amount of attention to the extension of our wireless service, and in the Estimates there is a sum dealing with direction-finding stations at Malin Head, Valentia, and Carnsore. We are also about to instal a wireless station at Cobh with a view to tapping incoming ships. The necessity for this has been brought home to us on more than one occasion by the shipping companies in this country.
I do not propose to deal very fully with telephones, as the matter has already been covered in a recent debate. I merely want to say that during the year we opened 3,255 new stations. We closed 1,470, which were mainly military stations, but these 3,255 will be considered as a definite expansion, and a very big expansion, considering that prior to our time only 20,000 telephones existed in the State. During the coming year I should not be surprised if we instal anything up to 5,000. This is largely a matter of technical equipment—the shortage of technical training. We have also opened during the year 35 private branch extensions with an average switchboard capacity of 11 lines. Fifteen new extensions and 79 call offices were also opened.