Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-22
THE FORCE OF HABIT.
Why Many People Haveto Pay Double Postage
on Foreign Mail.

siderable double payment OF postage
by people on the other side of the
water, caused by the neglect both of
the public and the postal clerks to
realize that the standard of weight on
letter is not one ounce, as it is in the
local mails, but by the half ounce. In
other words, letter weighing one
ounce going to a foreign country with
in the Postal Union would require ten
cents in postage and not five cents, as
very many of these letters have been
started.
Official notice has been sent to all
postmasters to notify the public as far
as possible concerning this trouble.
The British postoffice has notified
the department at Washington that the
great number of short paid American
letters received in foreign mails has
caused an investigation of the matter.
and that it appears that out of the
entire correspondence sent into English
countries from America, one letter in
every 25 has to be rated up as short
paid; and in the same investigation it
was found that in other countries it.
was only one letter in 40 mailed that
| required extra postage.
1t is hard for individuals to realize
how cast-iron these rules have to be-;
Wh Vn1Qnt has
not been sufficient to cover the amount
and yet has enough letter postage to
| start it, is marked at the exchange
| office with the letter L and circle,
showing that it is short paid. and the
amount of postage due is printed upon
| If. This amount is double the amount
| of postage that would have been re-
| auired prepaid. Surprising the letter
| to require ten cents postage. weighing
an ounce. and a five cent stamp were
placed on it, then it would be ten cents
due at the point of address. AS con-
sequence a great many of these letters
/ are returned through the dead letter
office as unbelievable. the amount OF
hostage due required from the ad-
| dressee being more than he cares t.
pay, which brings annoyance not onl!
TO the postal officials, but to the send
ers of the letters, who cannot under
stand why the letter is returned, thu
address being correct.
1t is presumed both by the British
office and the American department
that a large number of these case!
come from the fact that the sender
of these letters and the clerks han
ding them are so accustomed to tn
ounce standard for the single rate
hostage that so long as the letter b.
within the ounce limit, it is no
thonpht that it would be double rate
People who have been in the posta
service are well aware how mechan
ically accurate distributing clerks be
come as to the weight of letter il
their hands. and how seldom it will b.
that they make mistake in turning
hack letters weighing over an ounc
with single postage. When the hal
ounce rate used to be in force in tn
United States, the clerks were so &C
customed to it that by the weight il
,he hand they could tell the same
,bav now can on the ounce.
: Relieving that very much of tn
troub,e. annoyance and delay which i
caused bv this obligatory rating up o
so large proportion of these letter
cou,d be done away with We're the at
.o,t;on of the writer's generally calle
- 4 the American department ask
that everybody in their correspondent
> -. foreign countries should Away
,ar in mind that the rate within tn
pst,, Union is. as we have stated
a., cents for each half ounce or frao
o of a half ounce; and that If posi-
y .se mon letters is not prepaid in flu
= !, mat rate, the deficiency must h