[Illustration: SPECIMEN EDWARDIAN AND GEORGIAN ISSUES] OVERPRINTS (INDIAN CONVENTION STATES) Patiala 1884 to present date. Gwalior 1885 " Jhind " " Nabha " " Faridkot 1886-1901. Chamba 1896 to present date. There are many varieties of the overprints in the Indian Convention States stamps and many errors, which have led to numerous forgeries of the different overprints. A very exhaustive history of the postage stamps of India with detailed accounts of errors and provisional issues will be found in _The Postage and Telegraph Stamps of British India_, by L. L. R. Hausburg, C. Stewart Wilson and C. S. F. Crofton, published by Messrs. Stanley Gibbons. This is the standard work on the subject, and it contains many fine plates and illustrations. Part I, on postage stamps, is written by Mr. Hausburg, and no article on Indian stamps can pretend to be anything more than a résumé of his detailed researches. One merit the Postal Administration of India can justly claim and that is the purity of its stamp issues. The simple design of the Sovereign's head has always been maintained and the temptation to issue fancy pictures for commemoration purposes has always been steadily avoided. FOOTNOTE: [7] 12 pies = 1 anna = 1 penny approximately. APPENDICES APPENDIX A PERSONNEL OF THE POST OFFICE The following table gives the staff of the Department on the 1st April, 1919:-- Controlling Staff 88 General Supervising Staff 747 Postmasters 7,041 Extra Departmental Agents 12,668 Clerical and Signalling Staff 24,620 Postmen and Peons 43,768 Road Establishment 18,467 Linemen 2,959 ------- Total 110,358 The Audit Staff of the Posts and Telegraphs has not been included as this is under the control of the Finance Department. Recruitment for the posts of Superintendent is effected in two ways, namely-- (1) by the selection of qualified persons not already in the service of the Department, and (2) by the promotion of officials from the subordinate ranks of the Department. In the former case the person selected is generally required to join as a probationary superintendent, and is not given a permanent appointment until he has shown his fitness in every respect for the position and has passed an examination in Post Office work.