The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII: No. 353, October 2, 1886.Various
General
The Girl's Own Paper, Vol. VIII: No. 353, October 2, 1886.
Various
Children's literature -- Periodicals
To say, Be sure to put the direction on your letters is not unnecessary
advice. Thousands of letters are posted every year without any address
whatever. In the year ending 31st March, 1886, there were no fewer than
26,228 of them, and of this large number 1,620 contained cash and
cheques to the amount, in all, of L3,733 17s. 5d.
Be sure, too, that your letters are properly fastened. On this subject,
hear Mr. George Seton. "There is," he says, "no real security in wafers,
and probably still less in adhesive envelopes, which are now in almost
universal use. Both may easily be loosened by the application of either
water or steam. The best mode of securing a letter is first to wafer it
and then seal it with wax. When, however, an adhesive envelope is used,
the proper course is to _damp_, rather than wet, _both_ sides of the
flap before pressing it down; and if the paper is very thick, the upper
side should be again damped after being pressed down."
Insufficient and wrong addresses occasion a great deal of trouble to the
Post Office officials, and this trouble one of the present
Postmaster-General's predecessors remarks, with some pathos, "ought
scarcely to be given to make up for what generally arises from the
carelessness of the writers, without an additional charge." Last year,
through some fault in the addresses, no fewer than 12,822,067 letters,
postcards, newspapers, and parcels were received in the returned letter
offices.
As an example of an insufficiently-addressed letter, we may mention one
the subject of a complaint made by a Mrs. Jones of Newmarket. She stated
that a letter had been posted to her, but had not reached her. It
appeared, however, on inquiry, that there were twenty-nine Mrs. Joneses
at the place, and that there was nothing in the address to help the
postman to decide between their several claims.
When money or anything of value is sent through the post, the letter in
which it goes should be registered. By this means we can be almost
absolutely sure of its travelling safely. The fee for a registered
letter was at one time half-a-crown, and not so long ago was a shilling.
In 1878 it was reduced from 4d. to 2d. Not only has the fee been reduced
to what may be thought the lowest possible point, but registered letter
envelopes are now sold in different and convenient sizes. The Post
Office also undertakes to make good, under certain reasonable
conditions, up to L2 the value of any registered letter which it loses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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