Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/322

 Write telling this fellow that we all hate halfpenny matter, and that the stamp must be affixed on the address side. Tell him, too, that I do not propose to alter the rule. Put our reason obscurely, but the decision emphatically. No penalty is imposed for affixing stamps to the backs of letters; but I do not propose to alter the rule.

What about this?

—Yesterday morning (before I was down) my servant took in five post cards each bearing a penny stamp on the back in place of the address, and I had to pay 1s. 3d. for them.

They were sent me by the Maire of Tréport, and I should imagine that this abominable surcharge does not arise in the French Post Office, or surely he would know of the irregularity.

Inform this correspondent that the charge of 3d. on each post card represented double the deficient postage at the letter rate, and was therefore rightly collected on each card. I do not recognize the penny on the back of each card.

Now comes a discontented stationer.

—Your department charges me 20 to 30 per cent above cost price for printing halfpenny stamps on "private post cards" sent to them for impression. I save them the trouble and expense of supplying me with gummed and perforated halfpenny stamps by forwarding 100,000 post cards for the impression. I ask that the charge be abolished.