Stamp Story No. 44 Extra Charge On Sunday

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 8

Stamp Story No. 44 Extra Charge On Sunday

[By KEN ANTHONY)

pOSTAL traffic goes on *■ seven days a week, 52 weeks a year—and erratic hours are one of the crosses a postman has to bear. But one or two countries believe that if people expect Sunday service from the Post Office, they should be pre-

1 postal, telegraphic and tele2 phone workers. : Sunday deliveries were also s once far more common than they are today. For some 30 s years, beginning in the 1890’s t Belgium did its best to cut t down Sunday work in the - Post Office by printing small

pared to pay extra for it. Hence such special issues as the one illustrated here, a Bulgarian stamp which first appeared in 1925. It was compulsory for stamps like this to be usedin addition to the normal postage—on letter* posted on Sundays and public holiday*. The money raised in thi* way went toward* the upkeep of a sanatorium for

tabs at the foot of all its stamps carrying the legend "Not to be delivered on Sunday” printed in both French and Flemish. The tab, Separated from the rest of the stamp by an extra line of perforation, could be torn off if desired. But if the sender considered that postmen shouldn’t have to make their rounds on Sundays he could leave the tab on. The Post Office then knew at a glance that the letter needn’t be delivered until Monday. In Britain, the traditional Christmas morning mail delivery still survives—though there have been suggestions that it ought to be discontinued. When the volume of Christmas mail was much less than today, many people objected to receiving Christmas greetings earlier than December 25. However, even in the early years of this century, the Christmas mail had become so huge that such an arrangement was becoming impracticable. A special scheme for advance posting for delivery on Christmas Day was started experimentally in the north of England in 1907. but it lasted for only three years. —(Contra! Press Features, Ltd. AU Jtigh-u Reserved.)