'SERVICE BEARING' unpaid letters of Travancore.
On Government Service (സർക്കാർ കാര്യം) endorsed unpaid letter with Postage due to be collected (കുല്ലി വാങ്ങണം).
These Governmental 'unpaid' Service letters were posted with superscription of 'കൂലി വാങ്ങണം' in vernacular language, at double the prepaid postage rates till the year 1905 (as from the specimens of service bearing letters seen, so far).
From 1905 onwards, actual postal rates were charged.. prior to 1905, which was double the postage.
2 Types of Service despatch.
1) All government service unstamped correspondence letters (departmental or administrative) were to be superscribed with 'On Sircar Service only' and will be despatched free.
2) Whereas Bearing letters are those unstamped letters from government agencies to private individuals for the reply to their personal matters (related to applications for appointment & transfer, petitions, enquiries about leave etc etc), were to be superscribed with 'postage due to be collected" (കൂലി വാങ്ങണം), which will later be collected from the recipient, at the point of delivery.
And it is mandatory that these bearing letters should bear the name of the office of origin, along with the signature of the official clerk.
Examples of 'bearing letters' are shown below....
1) 1897 Chapelikara Supervisor Office, Mavelikara to Mavelikara...signed by the Gumasthan Velayudanpilla. The postage due charged is 2 Chuckram (double the normal postage charge, which is One Chuckram).
2) 1905 Service Bearing letter.. (Ambalapuzha Kandam krushi Kacheri) duly signed by the authorised signatory (bottom right), from Ambalapuzha (2 Edavam 1080) to Alleppey (3 Edavam), where the postage due charges is only the actual postage..3/4 Chuckram.
