Interesting Items From Postal And Custom Inspectors

I'll try to explain the situation the Simpsons received a parcel from their son Frank Simpson a private in the 93rd Battalion who was training at the Otterpool Camp Shorncliffe England. They were charged duty on a package and disputed it with the postmaster in Glen Alda who in turn submitted it to a post office inspector in Kingston Ontario. The post office inspector then contacted a custom duty inspector who wrote him explaining that there should not have been any duty.
The letters from the custom inspector and the post office inspector were turned over to the Simpson's so they could try and get a refund from the customs office in Trenton that had charged them in the first place.
Boy this seems like a lot of commotion and people involved over what must have been a very small amount as the items in the parcel are all of minimal value.
The package was wrapped in a blue paper and the stamp was applied to the blue paper, the declaration was also applied to the same.
I found this lot interesting myself but have no idea if others will, open for discussion and all comments welcome.

Cheers, Bill

It may look like "minimal value" to our modern eyes, but the total declared value of all the items is 21 shillings (one guinea). That was 21 days' base pay for a Private in the Infantry of the Line in 1914.

https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/sol...es-pay-1914/

That reply from A Shaw, is the finest example of "Laid paper" I have ever seen.

"That reply from A Shaw, is the finest example of "Laid paper" I have ever seen".

Thank you rod222, you brought something up I never realized so I took a closer look at it for a watermark and took some pictures. I believe it reads "Dominion Linen Fabric".
I searched this and came up with the manufacturer as being Dominion Textile located in Guelph, Ont. the company started in 1905 and did have Government ties.
The wool was imported from Ireland and some was of such poor quality that it couldn't be used to make linen.
I believe it was around 1911-12 that they started looking for ways to use this lower quality wool and soon found it made an excellent paper.
Just when they first started producing paper I don't know but if I'm right this piece would be from it's formative years.

Cheers, Bill

Another fascinating postal story - thanks!

Excellent research Bill !
Interesting, and taking Philately to another level.
Thank you.