heir size, shape or
fragility, were inconvenient for transmission.[605] Such parcels, which
had previously been excluded altogether from the service, were now
admitted, subject to a rate of postage 50 per cent. greater than the
rate on ordinary parcels.

At the Congress of Washington in 1897, power to charge special rates was
given to the administration of British India, viz. a rate not exceeding
1 fr. for land transit, a surtax not exceeding 1 fr. 25 on each parcel
posted or delivered in British India, and a scale of rates graduated
according to weight on all parcels posted in British India, provided
that the average receipt of the Indian administration did not exceed 1
fr. 75 for each parcel.[606] The special transit charge was abandoned at
the Rome Congress of 1906.

No changes of importance were made at the Rome Congress of 1906. Several
proposals in regard to the maximum limit of weight were discussed. The
Bulgarian delegates proposed an increase of the maximum to 50
kilogrammes, but the proposal found no support.[607] The Swiss delegate
proposed an increase to 10 kilogrammes. This met with some support; but
in view of the practical difficulties which would have been imposed on
certain administrations in dealing with parcels of so great a weight,
the proposal was negatived.

The Indian delegate proposed the insertion of a provision enabling any
country to charge postage on parcels originating in that country
according to a scale of weights of its own choice, in substitution for
the existing single rate.[608]

The general proposal was rejected,[609] but a clause was added
provisionally according to India the faculty of applying to parcels
posted in India a tariff graduated by weight, provided the mean of the
rates was not in excess of the normal rate of the Union.

The land transit rate remained unchanged, viz. 50 centimes for each
country participating in the territorial transit.

Russia was given power to collect a transit fee of 1 fr. 25 per parcel
in respect of both Russia-in-Europe and Russia-in-Asia, separately; and
Turkey to collect a transit rate of 1 fr. 25 on a parcel sent across
Turkey-in-Asia. Owing to the undeveloped state of the transport services
in Persia, that administration was empowered provisionally to decline
the transport of parcels for and from other countries.

The maritime transit rates were reduced to the following:--

25 centimes for transits not exceeding 500 nautical miles