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POSTAL NOTES, MO.YEY ORDERS, BALVK CHECUES. 319
trsnsactions with the British public, irrespective of the Law
COtlrtS.
Nor, if we investigate the matter, will it appear that there
is any red need for these schemes, except to rnngnify the
influence of cf The Department ” which propounds them. If
the banking system of this kingdom mer0 in a rudimentary
state, like that of the Fiji Islands, thero night be sotno reason
why the Government should try to educnto its subjects up to
the banking stage of civilisatiou. But if auyom will taka tho
trouble to look through the Banking Almannck, and to study
aome accounts of the bankers’ cloaring-house systmn, he mill
appreciate the degree in which the country mods to be taught
banking. The Post Office, great as its system mag bo, is mere
child’s play compared with the wonderful orgnnisation which
settles transactions to the extent of ono hundred millions per
week in Lombard Street without the use of a single coin. The
very remarkable statistics drawn up by Mr. Ne\vtnnrch, and
printed in the Banking hlm,zunck for this year, go tu ehow that
the system of Branch Banks is bcing cxtcndod in a wonderful
way, and bids fair to distance even in number tho increase of
money order offices. According to those stat,istics, the number of
Branch Banks, as distinguishccl from separate Banks, or &ad
Offices, was in 18GG, 1,226; in 1878, 1,386; in 1878, 1,801.
The increase in the formor interval was at tho rato of about
13 per cent., and in the lattel. 30 per cent. ! The number of
money order offices mas in 1866,3,454; in 1872, 4,300; in 1878,
5,719, and though the rate of increase is considerable, being in
the first interval 244 per cent., and in the second 33 per
cent., it does not manifest the same tendency to progressive
advance which wo notice iu t,he branch banking system.
There can be little doubt that the bankers of England and
Scotland, if not interfered with, mill, in the next ten or
fifteen years, establish banking offices in every nook and
cranny of the kingdom where there is any business at all
to be done, and their competition will result in offering
facilities for small savings and small payments which must
altogether distance the operations of any Government De-