As the new Rules for Syzygies are not quite ready yet, I will give the competitors an altogether new kind of Problem.
In the “Post Office Guide” the following Rule is laid down as to certain charges to be made, in certain cases, on the presentation for payment of Postal Orders:—
“After the expiration of three months from the last day of the month of issue, a postal order will be payable only on payment of a commission equal to the amount of the original poundage, with the addition (if more than three months have elapsed since the said expiration) of the amount of the original poundage for every further period of three months which has so elapsed, and for every portion of any such period of three months over and above every complete period.”
My Problem is as follows:—Assume that 360 Postal Orders, for 2s. each (so that the “poundage” on each would be 1d.), were purchased on the 6th of January, and that one is presented, for payment, every day till the end of the year. State the various amounts of commission chargeable, naming the first and last day on which each such amount would be charged.
Answers to this Problem should be written in the following form:—
7d. July 24 to Aug. 8.
8d. Aug. 9 to Oct. 20.
and so on;
And it is requested that they may reach the Editor by or before the first post on Dec. 24. They shall be scored in order of unanimity. Answers obtained from lawyers will be especially interesting. I have already been thus favoured by various judges, solicitors, &c., whose replies exhibit a pleasing variety and contrast. Of course, no real names need be given.