rage to 9, 16, 22, 29, 43, 62, and 68 annually. In 1913 the figure
had increased to 82. For the period 1876—80, the average number
of letters, etc., transmitted by post in the whole of Sweden amounted
to only 9 per head of the population. Thirty years later this figure
had risen to 68, and now, as we said above, to 82. These figures
can be considered as specially calculated to illustrate the immense development
of the postal service in Sweden during the last few decades. Compared
with the rest of Europe, postal communication in Sweden, in propor- ;
tion to the population — especially if respect be paid to the original and
chief object of the postal service, viz., letters — are above the average, and
are really surpassed only by those of the largest industrial and commercial
nations, for it is an object of general observation that it is a greatly developed
commercial life that is the principal factor in the great increase of
postal communications. In the city of Stockholm, the number of letters,
etc., delivered by the post amounted in 1913 to about 353 per head of the
population, against an average of 50 for the period 1876—80. With regard
to these figures, it must be remembered that, among the number of
postal communications, there are reckoned also the newspapers subscribed
for through the post, which, in the towns, occupy the first place among the
various classes of communications. In Stockholm, for example, the figures
for 1913 were calculated to be, per inhabitant, 207 newspapers to 140
letters, 4 parcels, and 2 postal money orders.
An extraordinary increase is shown, especially for O. O. D. communications
(to be collected on delivery). While, ..during the period 1876—80,. these communications
amounted to only 0'04 millions per annum, they amounted in 1913
to 4*4 millions. During the intervening period, consequently, the number had
become more than 100 times greater. Post-cards and money orders have increased
more than 50-fold since 1876. The number of post-cards had risen
from 0*7 million per year during the period 1876—80, to over 41 millions
during 1913, and the number of the money orders had, during the same time,
increased from 0*2 millions to nearly 11 millions. The increase in the number
of parcels conveyed by post is also notable.
As regards the postal service with foreign countries — of the total number
of communications dealt with b y -th e Post Office, these for or from abroad
amount to about one-tenth — the postal money-order business, especially, shows
figures which are somewhat interesting in one or two respects. Most of the
money orders go to Denmark; these, in 1913 amounted to 226 476;, to a
total value of 4 954 459 kronor. This corresponds, as regards number, to
47*8 % and, as regards value, to 30*6 % of all the postal money orders from
Sweden to abroad. ' I t is estimated that, of all the money orders sent to
Denmark, about one-half are sent to lottery-agents. Of the postal remittances
to Sweden, the greater part come from the U, S. A. In 1913, for example, there
came from th a t country 202 686 postal money orders, to a total value of
14 002 677 kronor, this being, with regard to numbers and value, 48*3 and 54*7 >
respectively of the whole number of the postal money remittances to Sweden.
During the whole of the period th a t such remittances have been exchanged
between Sweden and the P . S. A., i. e., 1885—1913, the amount sent to
Sweden amounts to a net total of 120*79 million kronor, which, of course, is a
very considerable sum. But it must not be forgotten that it probably does not
T able 134. Letters, etc., with Stated Value; Postal Money — Orders and
Newspaper-subscriptions. Total amounts.
A n n u a l l y
Sta ted v a lu e
of in su red l e t te
rs , e tc .,
sen t
kronor
A m o u n t of postal-
money order
v alu es p aid in
(incl. o f C. O. D.
business)
k ro n o r
N ewspaper-sub-
sc rip tio n ra te s
p a id i
k ro n o r
T o ta l
k ro n o r
1871—75 . . . . . . . . 414 927 686 2 584 026 871991 418 383 653
1876—80 ............................ 600 574 206 5 322 597 1062 853 606 959 656
1881—85 ............................ 684790151 11 697 945 1172104 697 660 200
1886—90 . ........................ 807 663 169 .16581687 1414820 825 659 676
1891^95............................ 927 994 432 27 336 840 1738851 957 070123
1896—00 ............................ 1130 488 963 51681501 2 303 439 1184 473 903
1901—0 5 ............................ 1176 094 620 107 709 533 2 999 403 1286 803 556
1906^-10............................ 1414839 543 195 861 258 3 482 625 1614183426
1912.................................... 1670 980 303 346 342 865 ’ 3 923931 2 021 247 099
1913........................... 1687 400 707 386 543 130 4 010 258 2 077 954 095
1 For newspapers and magazines (payments received by the Post Office for publishers
accqpnt).
equal even the amount- paid for tickets by the emigrants that have left the
country for the West; that it certainly does not equal the amount of ready
money taken direct out of the country by the emigrants in question, not counting
the sums that the young men and women, th a t have thus left the country,
have cost Sweden for their bringing-up and education.
In Table 134 is given a survey of the stated values of the insured letters,
etc,, the amount of the money orders paid in (inclusive of C. O. D. business),
as well as of the paid newspaper-subscription, at the post-offices of the
Kingdom during the period 1871—1913. Here the increase is greatest
in respect to the amount of the postal money-orders, which during the period
1871—75, amounted on an average to 2*6 million kronor per annum,
but which, in 1913, came to more than 386-5 million kronor. Each of
the other amounts has been about quadrupled during the years covered
by the Table. The Table shows that the entire amount for which the
Swedish Post Office was responsible in these respects, during 1913, came
to the very respectable sum of nearly 2 078 million kronor.
The income and expenditure of the Post Office during the period that
has elapsed from 1871 inclusive, is shown by Table 132. As may be seen,
the income shows a surplus, which,’ during the last few years, has been a
very considerable one. It must be remarked, however, that, for the period
up to and including 1910, there are included with the expenditure, all
the costs of the capital-inerease. In most other countries, too, the Post
Office business usually yields a surplus, which, in the case of Great
Britain and Germany, is a very large one. Even the Postal Department
of the U. S. A., which has hitherto laboured under a chronic deficit, has
lately begun to yield a surplus.
The value of the property of the Post Office at the close of 1913 was
estimated at 7 157 150 kronor, this sum being inclusive of the value of