---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In London we have doubled the postage…"
description: "\"“In London we have doubled the postage rate. In Moscow they have abolished it, and you can drop letters into a postal box without any stamp at all, but..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/francis-mccullagh-72485_quote_in-london-we-have-doubled-the-postage-ra_1475101.jpg"
---

#  In London we have doubled the postage rate. In Moscow they…

![“In London we have doubled the postage rate. In Moscow they have abolished it, and you can drop letters into a postal box without any stamp at all, but also unfortunately without much chance of ever getting an answer, for half the letters are never collected or delivered. In London they have…” quote by Francis Mccullagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/francis-mccullagh-72485_quote_in-london-we-have-doubled-the-postage-ra_1475101.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/francis-mccullagh-72485_quote_in-london-we-have-doubled-the-postage-ra_1475101.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf9/francis-mccullagh-72485_quote_in-london-we-have-doubled-the-postage-ra_1475101.jpg)

> ““In London we have doubled the postage rate. In Moscow they have abolished it, and you can drop letters into a postal box without any stamp at all, but also unfortunately without much chance of ever getting an answer, for half the letters are never collected or delivered. In London they have increased the tramway fares. In Moscow they have abolished them, but unfortunately the trams do not run””

Francis Mccullagh

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Contrast between London’s higher costs and Moscow’s free but unreliable services highlights how price doesn’t guarantee quality.

**In simple terms:** Free services can be unreliable; cost isn’t quality.

Key Takeaway

Don’t assume free equals effective; evaluate reliability.

Themes

systems efficiency public services

Mood

critical analytical

Type

policy observational

When to use this quote

- government budgeting
- public expectations
- service design

Key Concepts

economics infrastructure trust

Questions to Reflect On

- How should societies balance cost and reliability?
- What mechanisms ensure free services remain functional?

A Different Perspective

Low cost may reduce accountability and maintenance.

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> [Of course, certain religious expressions are fine. If a tribe of Aqualishes wants to boil rhino horns in frog saliva on the National Mall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-parker/of-course-certain-religious-expressions-are-fine-if-a-tribe-of/)

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> [I dream that my face appears on a postage stamp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/i-dream-that-my-face-appears-on-a-postage-stamp/)

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> [Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/designs-in-connection-with-postage-stamps-and-coinage-may-be/)

[William Butler Yeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-butler-yeats/)

## More by Francis Mccullagh

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## More Postage quotes

> [Designs in connection with postage stamps and coinage may be described, I think, as the silent ambassadors on national taste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-butler-yeats/designs-in-connection-with-postage-stamps-and-coinage-may-be/)

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[John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/)

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Browse all 46 Postage quotes

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