Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/256

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SIR JOHN HENNIKER HEATON

One word.

Westgate-on-Sea

Three words

Sheerness-on-Sea

So much ridicule was aroused by its publication that many of the anomalies were abolished. Undoubtedly the privilege of saying "Shan't" for one halfpenny was the most generally popular among the less obliging portion of the community.

For some years "H.M.S. ——" as part of the address was charged as one word, but "H.M.S. a in the body of the telegram was counted as three words. Perhaps it was partly the righting of this anomaly that Admiral Sir Albert Markham had in his mind when he wrote, "We in the Navy have special reasons for appreciating the great benefits that the untiring labours of Sir John have conferred."

A further list of anomalies was published in Igor:

One word.

St Pancras.
P.M.
Steamship.
St Peter.
New Brighton.
Twenty-five.
Needlemaker.

Two words

Charing Cross.
M.P.
s.s.
Peter St.
New Broughton.
Twenty five.
Cabinet maker.

Mr Austen Chamberlain wrote to H. H. on this subject:

Dear Henniker Heaton,

Your quarrel should be with the dictionary maker (two words) rather than with the Postmaster (one word). Thus "stove maker" and "boiler maker," e.g., ae not recognized as words by the dictionary,