78

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

thoroughly acquainted with the "New Zealand
Post Office Act, 1858,"and, as far as in them lies,
to see that it is duly carried into effect. In matters
not specially provided for in the said Act, they
will be guided by these or any subsequent
Regulations or Instructions issued under the
said Act.

POST OFFICES.

3. Each Province of New Zealand shall be
   a Post Office District for the purpose of these
   Regulations.

4. Such Offices in each District shall be
   deemed Post Offices for the purpose of these
   Regulations as shall from time to time be
   notified as such by the Postmaster-General in
   the New Zealand Gazette; and the Chief
   Post Office in each District shall be the Office
   of the Chief Postmaster.

5. The words "POST OFFICE," in large
   and conspicuous characters, must be exhibited
   outside every Post Office.

6. Every Post Office shall be open to the
   Public from Ten a.m. to Four p.m. on all
   week days, except when otherwise required
   during the sorting or despatch of a Mail; and
   for one hour on any Sunday or holiday when
   a Mail has been received too late for delivery
   on the preceding day; and every Post Office
   shall be kept open till Six p.m. on the day of
   delivery of the European Mail. The Postmaster-
   General may, however, by special instructions
   addressed to any Postmaster, alter these hours
   as regards any particular Post Office or Post
   Offices, should the circumstances seem to
   require it.

7. A Letter-box must be fixed in a con-
   venient and accessible situation, and the words
   "POST OFFICE LETTER-BOX" placed on or
   over it in plain characters; its construction
   must be such as to provide for the security of
   the Letters.

8. Tables of Postage Rates, Notices of the
   Despatch of Mails, the Times of the Arrival and
   Departure of Mails, Lists of Unclaimed Letters,
   and other Post Office notices requiring publi-
   cation, shall be exhibited in some convenient
   place outside every Post Office.

9. No person not duly authorized on the
   business of the Department shall be admitted
   into the interior of any Post Office building;
   and any Postmaster or other Post Officer
   allowing or conniving at the infringement of
   this Rule shall be liable to a penalty of Five
   Pounds on account of every person so admitted.

10. The following days shall be Post Office
    Holidays, viz.:--Christmas Day, New Year's
    Day, Good Friday, and the Queen's Birth
    Day; and within each Province the Anniver-
    sary of such Province.

POSTMASTERS AND POST OFFICERS.

11. There shall be in each Post Office
    District a Chief Postmaster, whose duty it
    shall be generally to superintend the Postal
    arrangements in his District, and through
    whom the other Postmasters will correspond
    with the Postmaster-General.

12. The following shall be the Chief Post-
    masters in their respective Districts: -The
    Postmaster at Auckland, the Postmaster at
    New Plymouth, the Postmaster at Napier, the
    Postmaster at Wellington, the Postmaster at
    Nelson, the Postmaster at Picton, the Post-
    master at Lyttelton, the Postmaster at Dunedin,
    the Postmaster at Invercargill; and the Post-
    master at such office, in any Province hereafter
    to be constituted, as shall be notified in the
    New Zealand Gazette to be the Chief Post
    Office of that District.

13. Every Postmaster or other Post Officer
    who may be appointed to any office in the
    Postal Department, must be careful before
    entering upon the duties of his office to make
    the declaration required by the Post Office
    Act.

14. Any Postmaster having any serious
    ground of complaint against, or having lost all
    confidence in, any person employed in his
    office, may suspend such person from duty;
    but a report of the matter must be sent by
    first Post to the Postmaster-General.

15. In all cases of complaint against a
    Subordinate the Postmaster must communicate
    to such Subordinate a copy of such complaint,
    and require a written defence; and a copy of
    the complaint, together with the defence (if
    any), must be transmitted, as soon as possible,
    to the Postmaster-General.

16. Every vacancy, by whatever cause
    occurring, in situations in any Post Office,
    must be reported by first Post to the Post-
    master-General, with a statement of the cause
    of the vacancy, the salary and duties, with
    such other observations as the case may
    require.

17. Should a protracted continuance of
    such vacancy be calculated to cause serious
    inconvenience, the Postmaster in whose office
    such vacancy shall occur, may employ some
    fit person temporarily to perform the duties of
    the vacant office; and the person so employed
    shall, before entering upon his duties, take and
    subscribe the declaration prescribed for persons
    regularly appointed to situations in the Post
    Office.

18. It shall be competent for any Post-
    master at any time to require the attendance
    of all or any of the persons employed in his
    office for the sorting, delivery, or despatch of
    Mails.

19. No Postmaster shall absent himself
    from duty without having obtained leave from
    the Postmaster-General, nor without having
    made provision, to the satisfaction of that
    officer, for the performance of his duties during
    his absence.

20. Any Postmaster may grant leave of
    absence for any time not exceeding a fortnight
    to any of his Subordinates, but no longer leave
    of absence shall be granted without the ap-
    proval of the Postmaster-General.

21. All Postmasters will be required to
    procure and keep on hand a sufficient supply
    of Postage Labels for sale to the public.