Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/255

 Villiers to his son in South America. Mr Villiers, having carefully inquired the price of each word, wrote rather a long message. The following day Mr Villiers received a letter from the G.P.O. demanding more than four times the amount, and stating that the clerk had made a mistake. A long correspondence ensued, but Mr Villiers consistently refused to pay. He very justly pointed out he would not have sent such a long message if he had known the real charge—the fault was that of the Post Office clerk, and the Post Office must bear the penalty. "If," wrote Mr Villiers, "I entered a restaurant and ordered vin ordinaire and the waiter brought me in error Château-Lafitte, and supposing I drank it, I should decline to pay for it."

A more tragic complaint was received from a lady who had sent a packet of valuable lace from Ireland. It arrived in a deplorable state, having been ruined by the breaking of a bottle of Condy’s Fluid over it. The Post Office refused to give any compensation, as they do not hold themselves responsible for anything damaged in transit. "What would be thought," wrote H. H., "of a business firm like Pickford, or Carter, Paterson, who declined to give compensation? The public would not stand it for an instant."

In 1891, H. H. compiled a long list showing the haphazard methods of the Telegraph Department in charging some words as one word, and others as two words—or even three. Here are some examples: