The somewhat sudden reduction of the domestic postal rate from 3c to 2c on single letters led to the production of a few provisional stamps of peculiar character at Port Hood, N. S., the postmaster of that town dividing some of his 3c stamps into two unequal portions and using the smaller parts as 1c and the larger ones as 2c. In the _Monthly Journal_ for January, 1899, they are referred to as follows:-- In some offices 1c and 2c stamps ran short, and their places were supplied by one-third and two-thirds portions of 3c stamps divided vertically. In some places our correspondent says, these divided stamps were employed without further alteration, but in others we regret to hear that they were surcharged with a figure "2" in purple, upon the figure "3" of the larger portion or the word "one" in green, upon the smaller part; or, to further complicate matters, when thirds of two adjoining stamps were used for 2c each part was impressed with a figure "2." Our informant's letter is franked in part by 2/3 of a 3c stamp surcharged "2" so we fear that this horrible tale is founded on fact. In the same journal for March further reference is made to these provisionals, viz.:-- The surcharged fractions appear to have been used only at Port Hood, N. S., where the Postmaster apparently did not consider it safe to use divided stamps without some distinguishing mark. We have seen other copies since, and find that a figure "1" was struck upon the smaller portion; not the word "one" as previously stated. Again in the April number of the same paper these split stamps are referred to:-- In reference to the cut and surcharged 3c stamps, a correspondent sends us the following extract from a letter from the postmaster of Port Hood:--"When the change in Canadian postage was made--of which we got notice by wire--I had only a very few two cent stamps in stock, so that before I got my supply from Ottawa I ran completely out of them, and, to keep my account straight, I was compelled to cut threes. This was for one day only, and not over 300 stamps were cut. I would say about 200 '2' and 100 '1' were used. About 100 '2' and probably nearly as many '1' were marked with the figures '2' and '1' as you describe, and were placed on letters for delivery in towns throughout the Dominion. Those were the only provisional stamps used by this office." Once more, in June, the _Monthly Journal_ refers to the philatelically notorious Port Hood office:--