[I discovered this interesting article in an English newspaper, The Standard published in 1910. It should be of great interest to French postal historians.]

“Monsieur Millerand, the new minister of Public Works, who has the department of Post and Telegraphs under his charge, is attempting to remedy the extreme disorder in which this department has been left by constituting mechanical devices, which will take work off the shoulders of the overburdened employees. He has already ordered the immediate installation of an automatic Telephone Exchange, which will cope with needs of 200 subscribers, and yesterday by his instructions, a new machine was placed at the disposal of the public, which registers letters automatically. This machine is placed outside a post office in one of the busiest parts of the city, only a stones-throw from the Avenue de l’Opéra, and already it has done good service.

In the front of the machine are four openings, one for the nickel coin of 25 centimes (twopence-halfpenny is the French registration fee); the second is to receive letters or small packets; the third to serve out the counterfoil, and the fourth to return bad or bent pieces. After putting the coin in the aperture the operator has to turn a handle; he may then insert the letter, and two seconds later, when the scales have steadied themselves, the counterfoil is delivered to the operator, bearing the same number as that stamped on the letter. The machine makes no provision for letters, which do not already bear the necessary stamps for the usual inland postal service, but in front of it is the notice: “Unstamped letters will be delivered by ordinary post’

The inventor, a Hungarian named Fabor, proposes, however, to add a letter-weighing apparatus, through which all letters will have to be passed before being registered, and by means of this device the letter will be stamped according to weight. Besides helping the Post Office administration, the machines will add to the popularity of the nickel 25 centimes coin. Simultaneously, machines have been established at the stations of the underground railway for distributing first-class tickets at the same charge.

Machines have already been in use for a year for distributing 5,10 and 25 centimes stamps.”