AUTOMATIC POSTAL FRANKING MACHINES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 105, 27 January 1908, Page 8

AUTOMATIC POSTAL FRANKING MACHINES.

For some weeks past several of tho leading merchants, in Wellington,hare had'installed on their premises the new automatic postal franking machines, tlio original of which was invonted by , Mr. F., Moss, of Dallington, Christchurch, but which has since been taken over' by the Automatic Franking, Machine Company, Ltd. This machine, jyhich, has been brought under our notice by "the" local postal officials, is nil ingenious ■ contrivance for stamping lotters without' stamps, on a principle not far removed from''tho cash register. There is a lever in froiit of the machine that inay bo adjusted/to any one of five notches, which represent. .tWs Id.', 3d., • 6d;,' and Is. stamp respectively.'' Having adjusted. the lover to tho requirements ot the letter,die turn'of a side-handle, does the. rest by bringing a die :(cont<imiug tho place, cost, of stamp, and the words "postage paid")'down 011 the spot whercs tho ordinary stamp is usually placed. On the top are" fivo dials, which record tho number of stamps.used and their value. The first dial records up to is., i.e.,' twenty-four half-penny stamps, twelve po'nny ones,.and so on, can be ,used; then the record; is continued on the sliilling dial'; when twenty are recorded the pound dial takes the'tally up to £20,'wli"cn it goes on recording until twenty £20 worth (£400) of stamps have been recorded. These dials are read weekly by a postal official, precisely on the same principle as the gas'meter. It is stated that big firms liavo testified that they mean a saving in tho stamp account,' for while a stamp is as good 'as cash', and is easily converted into such, a stamp from the machine is. another matter, while on an envelope or'a receipt it has the same virtue. So far fifty of these machines have been placed in Wellington, and about the same number in •.Christchurch. Auckland is being canvassed at present, and later on Dunedin is to be invaded by the vendors of. this clever invention.