One other item, not strictly philatelic perhaps, but interesting to record here, is the announcement of the issue of postal notes, the system having been inaugurated throughout Canada on the 4th August, 1898. It was intended
mainly to obviate the need of remitting small sums by mail in postage stamps, with the consequent difficulty to the recipient of disposing of any quantity. The notes were for certain fixed values, odd amounts between values being made up by affixing postage stamps.
Their denominations and dates of issue are recorded as follows:—
| 4th August | issued notes of 25, 50 and 70 cents. |
| 23rd August | issued notes of $1, $2.50 and $5. |
| 21st October | issued notes of 40 cents, $1.50 and $2. |
| 25th November | issued notes of 20, 30, 60 and 80 cents. |
| 23rd January, 1899 | issued notes of 90 cents, $3. and $4. |
In the Report for 1900 we find mention of the issue of stamp books.
In the month of June, 1900, the department commenced the issue to Postmasters, of a small book of 2 cent postage stamps, containing 12 stamps, disposed on two sheets of 6 stamps each, and interleaved with wax paper to prevent adhesion of the sheets. The size of the book is such as to make it convenient to be carried in the pocket or pocket-book. Printed on the cover is postal information calculated to be of interest to the public. The price at which the book is issued is 25 cents, one cent over the face value of the stamps being charged to cover the cost of binding, etc.
The stamp accounts give the date of issue of the stamp books as 11th June, 1900. That they have proved popular is evidenced by the increase in the number issued to postmasters from some 320,000 in 1901 to about 1,400,000 in 1910.
The books are about two by three inches in size, with stiff cardboard covers which are bound together by red cloth. The coat-of-arms of Canada with the words CANADA POSTAGE beneath are engraved in red on the front cover, while inside are four pages of postal information and the two sheets of six stamps each—three horizontal pairs—backed by leaves of paraffined tissue paper.
Notice is also given of the discontinuance of two denominations of postage stamps, the old 15 cent of 1868 passing quietly away at the age of 31 years, 1 month and 1 day—or on the 2nd November, 1899, to be exact. The 6 cent stamp, for which there was but little call since the reduction of the letter postage to 2 cents, was discontinued on the 10th February, 1900.
From the Report of 1901 we learn that the last issue of the $1 Jubilee stamps took place on 27th June 1900, but nothing is said of dates for the