text_original: Up to this time the rates of postage had been both high and various. They were varying both as to distance, and as to the weight and even the size or the shape of a letter. The district or London post 90 A HISTORY OF OUR OWN TIMES. on. it. was a separate branch of the postal department ; and the charge for the transmission of letters was made on a different scale in London from that which pre  vailed between town and town. The average postage on every chargeable letter throughout the United Kingdom was six pence farthing.
text_transcription: UP TO THIS TIME THE RATES OF POSTAGE HAD BEEN BOTH HIGH AND VARIOUS THEY WERE VARYING BOTH AS TO DISTANCE AND AS TO THE WEIGHT AND EVEN THE SIZE OR THE SHAPE OF A LETTER THE DISTRICT OR LONDON POST WAS A SEPARATE BRANCH OF THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT AND THE CHARGE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF LETTERS WAS MADE ON A DIFFERENT SCALE IN LONDON FROM THAT WHICH PREVAILED FROM TOWN TO TOWN THE AVERAGE POSTAGE ON EVERY CHARGEABLE LETTER THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM WAS SIXPENCE FARTHING
phonemes: ˌʌp tə ðɪs tˈaɪm ðə ɹˈeɪts ʌv pˈoʊstɪdʒ hɐdbɪn bˈoʊθ hˈaɪ ænd vˈɛɹiəs. ðeɪ wɜː vˈɛɹiɪŋ bˈoʊθ æz tə dˈɪstəns, ænd æz tə ðə wˈeɪt ænd ˈiːvən ðə sˈaɪz ɔːɹ ðə ʃˈeɪp əvə lˈɛɾɚ. ðə dˈɪstɹɪkt ɔːɹ lˈʌndən pˈoʊst nˈaɪnti ɐ hˈɪstɚɹi ʌv ˌaʊɚɹ ˈoʊn tˈaɪmz. ˈɔn. ɪt. wʌzɐ sˈɛpɹət bɹˈæntʃ ʌvðə pˈoʊstəl dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ; ænd ðə tʃˈɑːɹdʒ fɚðə tɹænsmˈɪʃən ʌv lˈɛɾɚz wʌz mˌeɪd ˌɔn ɐ dˈɪfɹənt skˈeɪl ɪn lˈʌndən fɹʌm ðæt wˌɪtʃ pɹˈiː vˈeɪld bᵻtwˌiːn tˈaʊn ænd tˈaʊn. ðɪ ˈævɹɪdʒ pˈoʊstɪdʒ ˌɔn ˈɛvɹi tʃˈɑːɹdʒəbəl lˈɛɾɚ θɹuːˈaʊt ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd kˈɪŋdəm wʌz sˈɪks pˈɛns fˈɑːɹθɪŋ.