We are informed that there is likely to be issued shortly "a new ten cent stamp of special design, which, when attached to a letter, will ensure its immediate delivery to its address at any free delivery office, between the hours of 7 a. m. and 12 midnight." A similar system has, we believe, been in use for some years in Belgium, where the extra charge is paid in telegraph stamps.
This was certainly a case of intelligent antic.i.p.ation for it was not until fourteen years later that a stamp of this character was issued by the Dominion of Canada. The Postmaster-General"s Report for 1898 referred to the introduction of the new stamp as follows:--
The calendar year has witnessed the introduction of the special delivery stamp, whereby on the payment of a delivery fee of 10 cents in addition to the ordinary postage, a letter immediately upon its arrival at the office of destination is sent by special messenger for delivery to the addressee.
A special-delivery stamp of the face-value of 10 cents was prepared, and the first supplies thereof were sent out sufficiently early to Postmasters to permit of the inauguration of the special delivery service on the 1st July, 1898. The object of the service is to secure special and prompt delivery of a letter on which a special-delivery stamp, in addition to the ordinary postage, has been affixed.
The new system was dealt with at some length in a circular issued to postmasters under date June 7th, 1898, and as this is of considerable interest we reproduce it below:--
The Postmaster-General has approved of arrangements whereby, on and from the first of July proximo, the senders of letters posted at any Post Office in Canada and addressed to a City Post Office now having Free Delivery by Letter Carriers shall, on prepayment by Special Delivery stamps of the face-value of ten cents, affixed one to each letter, in addition to the ordinary postage to which the same are liable, secure their special delivery to the persons to whom they are addressed within the limits of Letter Carrier Delivery at any one of the following Post Offices in Cities, viz.:--Halifax, St. John, N. B., Fredericton, Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Brantford, Hamilton, London, Winnipeg, Victoria, and Vancouver. The hours of delivery to be within 7 a. m.
and 11 p. m. daily, except Sunday. These hours are subject to change as dictated by local circ.u.mstances. Drop-letters posted for local delivery, and bearing Special Delivery stamps, in addition to the postage, will also be ent.i.tled to special delivery in the same manner as letters received at the Post Office by mail.
Registered letters may likewise come under the operations of this scheme of Special Delivery, in the same way as ordinary letters, provided they bear Special Delivery stamps, in addition to the full postage and the registration fee fixed by law, and the regulations respecting the record and receipting of registered matter are observed. In despatching registered letters that bear Special Delivery stamps, the Postmaster should write prominently across the registered-package envelope the words "For Special Delivery." When Special Delivery letters (unregistered) number five or more for any one office the Postmaster should make a separate package of them, marking it "For Special Delivery"; if such letters are fewer than five, he should place them immediately under the "facing-slip" of the letter-package which he makes up, either directly or indirectly, for the Special Delivery office for which they are intended, so that the most prompt attention may be secured therefor.
Special Delivery stamps will be sold at all Money Order Post Offices in Canada, (which may secure a supply of such stamps in the same way as ordinary stamps are obtained), for which the Postmasters will have to account as they do for ordinary stamps and on the sales of which a total commission of ten per cent. shall be allowed to Postmasters, except to Postmasters having fixed salaries. For the present Postmasters will use the existing forms of requisition in applying for Special Delivery stamps. (The usual discount may be allowed to a licensed stamp vendor at the time that he purchases Special Delivery stamps from the Postmaster). Special Delivery stamps are to be cancelled as postage stamps are cancelled. Stamps intended for Special Delivery are not available for any other purpose, and the article upon which one is affixed must have, besides, the ordinary postage prepaid by postage stamps.
Under no circ.u.mstances will Special Delivery stamps be recognised in payment of postage or of registration fee, nor can any other stamp be used to secure Special Delivery, except the Special Delivery stamp. Special Delivery stamps are not redeemable.
Letters intended for Special Delivery at any one of the City Post Offices above mentioned, and prepaid as directed, may be mailed at any Post Office in Canada.
The regulations relating to First Cla.s.s Matter (Inland Post) apply also and equally to Special Delivery letters, the only difference being the special treatment which the latter receive with a view to accelerating their delivery.
The object sought by the establishment of Special Delivery,--namely, the special delivery of letters transmitted thereunder,--will be much promoted if the senders of all such letters are careful to address them plainly and fully, giving, if possible, the street and number in each case. Such care will serve not only to prevent mistakes, but also to facilitate delivery. All employees of the Post Office are enjoined to expedite, in every way in their power, the posting, transmission and delivery of letters intended for Special Delivery.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
These special delivery stamps are distinctly different in design from the ordinary postage stamps, the reason for this being, of course, that letters intended for special delivery may be at once identified and their handling facilitated. The stamps are oblong in shape, measuring about 31 mm. by 23 mm. high. The centre consists of an engine turned oval, in the middle of which is the word TEN in uncolored block letters on a solid disc of color. Around this is an oval filled with lathe-work and then comes an oval band inscribed "SPECIAL DELIVERY WITHIN CITY LIMITS" in similar lettering to that of the word of value. This, in turn, is enclosed within another oval of lathe-work. The frame shows "CANADA POST OFFICE" in a straight label across the top, while the lower and side borders are filled with lathe-work intercepted at the bottom by a straight label containing "TEN CENTS", and at each side by a small circle containing the numerals "10." The spandrels are filled with conventional foliate ornaments. The value and special use of the stamp is thus plainly depicted and letters bearing them are easily sorted from the ordinary mail.
The stamps were, like all other Canadian stamps, printed from line-engraved plates. They were printed in sheets of fifty arranged in ten horizontal rows of five each. The imprint and plate number "OTTAWA----No.----1" are shown in the upper margin above the central stamp. Apparently this original plate is still in use, for no other plate number has yet been recorded.
At first the stamps were printed in deep green, but in January, 1906, the _Philatelic Record_ mentioned a new shade, described as blue-green, and recent printings have been in a very deep shade of blue-green.
The use of these special delivery stamps, though somewhat restricted at first, soon grew steadily in volume, showing that the public appreciated the special service. The Postmaster-General in referring to this matter in his Report for 1899 says:--"The 10 cent Special Delivery stamps, to which reference was made in the last report, came into use at the beginning of the current fiscal year, simultaneously with the commencement of the Special Delivery Service, and of this stamp 52,940 were issued to meet the demands, which would go to show that the service is being availed of to a considerable extent throughout the country."
Later Reports simply indicate the extension of the service to other offices, though the one for 1908 also concedes that the use of a Special Delivery stamp is not compulsory to secure this service so long as the extra fee of ten cents is prepaid. We read that:--
The regulations respecting special delivery have been so modified that it is no longer necessary for a person despatching a letter which he desires to have delivered immediately, to provide himself with the "special delivery" stamp issued by the department. He may now place upon his letter ordinary postage stamps to the value of ten cents in addition to the stamps required for the prepayment of postage and write across the corner of the envelope the words "special delivery". This will ensure the special delivery of the letter as provided for in the regulations.
_Reference List._
1898. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co., Ottawa. No wmk. Perf. 12.
103. 10c deep green, Scott"s No. 160.
CHAPTER XXIX.
_The Registration Stamps._
The convenience of the registry system was adopted in Canada in May, 1855, at which time the fee was the remarkably low one of one penny. In 1856 the system was extended to cover letters sent to the United States by mutual agreement between the post office departments of both countries, and while the domestic rate remained at one penny the fee for the registration of letters to the United States was three pence. Mr.
Howes has discovered an interesting notice in the Canadian Directory for 1857-8 which gives further details as follows:--
Persons transmitting letters, which they desire should pa.s.s through the post as "registered letters", must observe that no record is taken of any letter unless specially handed in for registration at the time of the posting. Upon all such letters, with the exception of those addressed to the United States, one penny must be prepaid as a registration charge. If addressed to the United States, the ordinary postage rate on the letters to that country _must be prepaid_, and in addition a registration charge of 3d per letter.
The registry thus effected in Canada will be carried on by the United States Post Office until the letter arrives at its destination.
In like manner, letters addressed to Canada may be registered at the place of posting in the United States, and the registry made there will accompany the letter to the place of delivery in Canada.
A certificate of registration will be given by the postmaster if required.
The registration system can be applied to the letter portion of the mail only.
The registration system at that time made no provision for compensation in case of the loss of letters, the small extra fee charged simply indicating that extra care would be taken to secure proper delivery.
Evidently at that time the fee was paid in money, and the letters then marked with a handstamp of some sort, for in the Postmaster-General"s Report for 1858 we read, "It is also considered that it would be an improvement on the system if the charge for registration were made pre-payable by a stamp, instead of by money as at present." It is probable that shortly after this the prepayment of the registry fee was indicated by the affixing of stamps of the required value. The report for 1860 refers to the system as follows:--
A rate of charge for Registration so low as, in no probable degree, to operate as a motive, with persons posting letters of value, to deny themselves the advantage of securing from the Post Office an acknowledgment of the receipt of the specific letter, has always been considered to be a cardinal point in the Canadian Registration System.
The Registration fee, or charge, has, therefore, under the influence of this consideration, been maintained at 2 cents, though it is doubtful whether such a rate of charge covers the actual cost of the process; the address of the Registered Letter having, in the course of transmission, to be entered on an average not less than six times, and forms of certificate or receipt, and Books in which to preserve permanent records at each Post Office, to be supplied.
The postal officials were evidently strong believers in the Registration system and lost no opportunity of dwelling on its merits. In his Report for 1864 the Postmaster-General tells of its manifold advantages as follows:--
When a letter is registered, that is to say, marked and recorded in the Post Office so as to individualise it from the bulk of ordinary letter correspondence, its presence in the Post Office can be identified and its course of transmission traced, and a registered letter is thus secured from the chance of abstraction by an unfaithful messenger employed to post it (as it is always open to proof whether the letter was posted for registration or not), from risk of loss by accidental mis-direction on the part of the sender, and from mistakes in the Post Office--such as mis-sending or delivery to a wrong party. Against actual dishonesty on the part of the Post Office employes, a registered letter is incomparably more secure than an unregistered one, for an unregistered money-letter and the nature of its contents are, to any person accustomed to handle letters, as manifest as though the letter had been singled out and marked by the registered stamp. Moreover, the safety of an unregistered letter is dependent on the integrity of a Post Office Clerk during the whole time that it remains in his custody, frequently for hours, or even days; whilst a registered letter will almost invariably have to be acknowledged at the moment of its pa.s.sing into an officer"s hands, and cannot thereafter be suppressed without leaving him individually accountable for its disposal.
At what date the registry system was extended to letters sent to other countries than the United States is not clear but Mr. Howes has succeeded in unearthing a doc.u.ment which shows the rates prevailing in 1865-6:--
The charge for Registration, in addition to the Postage, is as follows, viz.:--
On Letters to any other place in Canada or British North America, 2 cents
On Letters for the United States, 5 cents
On Letters for the United Kingdom, 12-1/2 cents
On Letters for British Colonies or Possession sent _via_ England, 25 cents
On Letters for France and other Foreign Countries _via_ England, an equal amount to the postage rate.
Both the postage charge and registration fee must in all cases be prepaid.
It was not until 1872 that the idea of issuing special stamps for the prepayment of the registration fee was mooted but in the Postmaster-General"s Report for that year we read:--
It seems expedient to adopt some distinctive postage stamp to be used only in prepayment of the Registration charge, both to make it clear that this charge has been duly paid and accounted for in every case, and to diminish the risk which is occasionally felt at points of distribution of omitting to carry on the Registration in cases where the ordinary Registration postmark is not as distinct and calculated to arrest attention as it should be.
It has always been the policy of the Canadian Post Office to admit letters to Registration at a low rate of charge for the additional security thus given, so as to leave no adequate motive, on the score of cost, for sending valuable letters through the mails unregistered, and, doubtless, the very large proportion of such letters offered for registration demonstrates a gratifying measure of success in attaining the desired object.
In spite of this recommendation it was not until three years later that special stamps for Registration purposes made their appearance. They were finally placed on sale on November 15th, 1875, and were referred to by the Postmaster-General in his Report for that year as follows:--