from one to two thirds fewer than at others; and if he had also known of the disreputable stratagem of misdirecting a number of circulars which passed as letters, as did the present writer, he would have been less assured of the accuracy of his calculation. This will be more fully explained in the next chapter, where the statements at the Town Council meeting will be annotated.
And still another letter appeared in the same number of the News, the contents of which are here re-produced:- “Sir, - Statements being industriously circulated as to the number of mis-directed letters sent through the Post Offices of Hastings and St. Leonards, apparently with the view of misleading the public and inducing them to suppose that the large number of letters in question are delayed in their delivery in consequence of such mis-direction, it is but fair to state that in 1854 this case was fully gone into by the Post Office authorities... Since then, however, a further arrangement has been made, viz, the immediate transmission from one office to the other such mis-directed letters in good time to include them in the regular deliveries for which they are intended. This has completely fulfilled the object with regard to the principal portion of the correspondence, which is that received by the early morning mail, no delay whatever taking place in this delivery; and it is obvious that by a similar arrangement, if thought necessary, provision might as easily be made with regard to the mis-directed letters of the afternoon mails. It seems hardly necessary to state that in by far the greater number of cases the mis-direction alluded to arises from letters for St. Leonards being addressed ‘St. Leonards, Hastings [Yes, all or nearly all], instead of ‘St. Leonards-on-sea,’ only; in consequence of which they are put in the bags for Hastings. But who are the parties – if any – to complain of this? Assuredly not the people of Hastings, who do not suffer by it. Then, why do they moot the question and stir up the feeling between the inhabitants of the two towns – which should be united by mutually good offices – and induce the Postmaster General to suppose that good would result from a change in the postal arrangements for St. Leonards with which the inhabitants of that district have, on every occasion, expressed their satisfaction? They want, they say, one Central General Office for the two places. What would be the consequence of the General Office being placed in a central situation, but to remove it to where there is the least amount of population, and so give rise to inconvenience and discontent to both towns, the population of which is massed at the extremes, not in the centre? The branch offices which would, perhaps, be left there, would be required to be closed at least an hour earlier than at present, as is the case in other places, similarly situated, to allow of the transmission, sorting and making up the bags. Surely the people -
