, moreover, handed in at post offices
in considerable numbers for prepayment of postage in cash. In that case
the cost of subsequent handling is slightly reduced, because under the
regulations for such prepayment the packets must be tied in bundles with
the addresses in the same direction, that is to say, the operation of
facing must be performed by the person who posts the packets. Against
this, however, must be set the very considerable expense incurred both
in towns and rural areas for the collection of ordinary light letter
packets, postcards, halfpenny packets, and newspaper packets from
posting boxes, and the cost of van services, which are frequently
provided for the collection of letters from business premises. Very
little of the cost of these services can be attributed to the heavier
letter packets, which are to a large extent handed in at the post office
counter to be weighed. This involves considerable expense, which
corresponds to cost of collection, and may be dealt with under that
heading. The best estimate that can be made is that the cost of
collection per packet is approximately the same in all cases.

Facing and stamping may be regarded as one operation, the one being
really preparatory to the other. Here there is less difficulty. The
relative cost per packet may fairly be taken as the ratio of the time
taken in performing the operation in the case of each class of packet.
In regard to facing and stamping, and also in regard to sorting, the
letter packets proper, that is to say packets sent at the ordinary
letter rate of postage, fall in general into three classes according to
the facility with which they can be handled, viz. (1) "short letters,"
(2) "long letters," (3) "letter packets" (that is, the bulky packets
sent at the letter rate).[620] In order to complete the calculation, the
number of packets which fall respectively into these three classes must
be estimated.

It has been indicated that the actual division is made according to the
size and shape of the packets. The division corresponds approximately
with variation in weight. Few packets weighing more than 3/4 ounce would
come within the class of short letters, that is, of letters which can be
dealt with at the ordinary sorting frames; but as there is no analysis
of the number of packets of less than 1 ounce weight, there is no
alternative to the adoption of 1 ounce as the limit of this class.[621]
The effect of this is slightly adverse to t