STAMPS, Postage. The boldness of con ception in suggesting a penny (two cents) post age for Great Britain for letters of half an ounce showed a broadness of mind well worthy the title of "Sir" it brought later on Mr. Rowland Hill. Railroads, it is true, were making travel both easier, cheaper and more rapid, but they were few and postal delivery through all the United Kingdom still meant transportation largely by coach and frequently over roads that were bogged in wet weather (and England, then as now, had a rainy climate). Rates for single letters at that time were as follows for delivery in England or Wales from any post office to any place: Not exceeding 15 miles from such office 4 pence.
Between IS and 20 miles 5 " Between 20 and 30 miles 6 " Between 30 and 50 miles 7 " Between 50 and 80 miles 8 " Between 80 and 120 miles 9 " Between 120 and 170 miles 10 " Between 170 and 230 miles 11 " Between 230 and 300 miles 12 " Added to this was another penny on each single letter for every 100 miles over 300, also one penny for postage and sometimes atoll-fees." A letter from Kirkwall to Southampton called for an expenditure of one shilling and six pence; to London nine pence plus another penny for postage; to Cork, Ireland, cost one shil ling and three pence. These sums were for a single sheet of paper, two sheets costing double.
Under such conditions came Hill's Uniform Penny Postage plan. The system of franking suggested did away with the great cost of "col lection" and frequent loss on refusal of pay ment on the part of the addressee. The cost of production and sales of penny stamps was comparatively infinitesimal, and this fact, of course, permitted its success, also the enormous growth numerically of the patronage. Before the introduction of the reform the post office handled (in 1839) 75,907,572 letters; letters for the following years were: 1840 168,768,344 1880 1,176,423,600 1850 347,069.071 1890 1,705,800,000 1860..... 564,002.000 1900 2,323,600.000 1870 862,722,000 1910 2,947,100,000 The term "postage-stamp" is, of course, something of a misnomer that has crept into the English language. It is no stamp. What we Gall the "post mark" is a stamp. When the ad hesive was first introduced it was known as a "label," and to the philatelist it re mains a "label" to this day. As a discussion of a subject presupposes some knowledge of the terms used by the expert it would be well to explain some of the terms used by the phila telist. We will quote a few in part from Fred J. Melville's 'Chats on Postage Stamps.'