The Report of 1876 contains no special items not already noted, but that of 1877 states that the letter rate of postage with Newfoundland had been reduced from 6 cents to 5 cents per 1/2 oz., and the same rate had been obtained with Germany from 1st April, 1877. The Report of 1878 announces the admission of Canada into the Universal Postal Union from the 1st July, as we have already detailed.[113] The Report of 1879 says: "A reduction has been made, from the 1st September last, in the postage rate on closed parcels sent by post within the Dominion, from 12-1/2 cents per 8 oz. of weight to 6 cents per 4 oz. Under this change small parcels not exceeding 4 ounces in weight are admitted to pass for 6 cents instead of 12-1/2 cents as before." This sounded the death knell of the 12-1/2 cent stamp, which dropped in the number issued to postmasters from 84,150 in 1879 to 13,400 in 1880 and 4950 in 1881. It was issued in decreasing numbers down to 1888, when it disappears from the accounts. [113] See page 109. Nothing further of importance transpired until 1881, when a supplementary agreement touching certain points was signed with the United States Post Office Department:-- ADDITIONAL ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE DOMINION OF CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. For the purpose of affording to the public increased facilities for the exchange of written correspondence, and also of preventing evasions by publishers, of the postal laws and regulations of the United States, the undersigned, duly authorized by their respective Governments, have agreed upon the following additional articles to the Postal Agreement of 27th January and 1st February, 1875: Article I. Insufficiently paid letters mailed in the United States and addressed to Canada, or _vice versâ_, mailed in Canada and addressed to the United States, on which a single rate of postage or more has been prepaid, shall be forwarded charged with the amount of the deficient postage, to be collected on delivery and retained by the Post Department of the country of destination. The amount of such deficient postage shall be indicated in figures, by the despatching exchange office, on the upper left-hand corner of the address. Article II. When newspapers, periodicals and other printed matter, published or originating in the United States, are brought into Canada and posted there for destinations in the United States, apparently to evade the postage rates or regulations applicable to such matter in the United States, the Canada Post Office may require prepayment of the same to be made at a rate equivalent to double the Canada domestic rates. * * * * * Article IV. The present articles shall be considered additional to those agreed upon between the two offices on the 27th January and 1st February, 1875, and shall come into operation on the 1st of May, 1881.