and has come to the
conclusion, no doubt correctly, that the variations are due to
differences in the quality and thickness of the paper. As in the
old case of the Ceylon stamps the longer copies are on thicker
paper than the short ones. All stamps that are printed on damp
paper, and especially those from plates engraved in _taille-douce_,
are liable to vary in this way.

The above seems to be the most reasonable explanation of the differences
for the measurements of the so-called long and short stamps are
practically constant, which one would naturally expect to find if two
sorts of paper, differing slightly in thickness and quality, were used.

_Reference List._

1898-9. Engraved and printed by the American Bank Note Co.,
Ottawa, on white wove paper. Perf. 12.

60. 1/2c black, Scott's No. 74.
61. 1c green, Scott's No. 75.
62. 2c purple, Scott's No. 76.
63. 3c carmine, Scott's No. 77.
64. 5c dark blue on bluish, Scott's No. 78.
65. 6c brown, Scott's No. 79.
66. 8c orange, Scott's No. 80.
67. 10c brown-violet, Scott's No. 81.

CHAPTER XVI.--_The "Map" Stamp of 1898._

Shortly after Great Britain adopted penny postage for internal use in
1840 postal reformers began to dream of Ocean Penny Postage, and
although universal penny postage is not yet an accomplished fact it is
within reasonable distance of being so. A great step in this direction
was made in 1898 when at an Imperial Convention on Postal Rates held in
London the mother country and various colonies agreed to adopt the rate
of one penny per half ounce on letters sent to or from Britain or one
another. The following extract from the London _Standard_ for July 13th
shows in an interesting manner how far the movement had then
progressed:--

We are authorised by the Postmaster-General to state that, as the
result of the Imperial Conference on Postal Rates, it has been
agreed, on the proposal of the Representative of the Dominion of
Canada, that letter postage of one penny per half-ounce should be
established between the United Kingdom, Canada, Newfoundland, the
Cape Colony, Natal, and such of the Crown Colonies as may, after
communication with, and approval of, Her Majesty's Government, be
willing to adopt it. The date on which the reduction will come into
effect will be announced later on. The question