War Issue Every Householder Mail – Bulk Payment without an Official Form

I purchased this item in an auction a few years back. I find it interesting because it represents the typical transactions between a business using the Every Householder mail service and the Postmaster at the time that the mail entered the postal system. Here is my explanation of the franking on this item.

A local businessman, Alex F. Smith, arrived at the Stoney Creek Post Office on April 27, 1946 with 10 packages of unaddressed advertizing circulars. He wished to have these delivered to all homes serviced by the Stoney Creek, Fruitland, Winnona, Vinemount and Vanwagners Beach Post Offices as well as the Stoney Creek, Fruitland, Vinemount and Bartonville Rural  Routes and Hamilton Rural Route No. 5.  Mr Smith had carefully counted each of the 10 packages to match the number of patrons of each Post Office and Rural Route and had listed the 10 destinations and the quantity in each package on a sheet of paper. The total was 1502 items requiring $15.02 postage at 1 cent per item. After Mr Smith paid the postage the Postmaster noted the total postage paid on Mr Smith’s list as a receipt.

The items being delivered for the Stoney Creek office (both local delivery and rural route totalled 335. The required $3.35 postage was placed on Mr. Smith’s list and cancelled. The postage for the remaining packages to be delivered from other offices was placed on those parcels as proof of postage paid for the receiving Postmasters.