THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
427

and the transmission of telegrams is impossible, until
the business of the Station is cleared out, and the
whole of the telegrams on hand have been trans-
mitted.

In cases of emergency the General Manager or
General Superintendent may extend the hours of
business at any Station or Stations, and officers and
servants will attend to the business of their respective
Stations during such extra hours.

4. All officers and servants shall conform to and
   as far as possible enforce these rules and instructions,
   whenever they shall be present at the various Stations
   of the department, or engaged in their respective
   duties.

5. No stranger or strangers shall, under any
   pretence whatever, be admitted to the Instrument
   Room of any Station of this department without a
   special authority from the General Superintendent.

6. No officer or servant is to enter the Instrument
   Room of any Station of the department unless for
   the performance of his duties connected with the
   service of the department.

7. No officer shall leave his Station during the
   time he is on duty, nor shall he hold communication
   or conversation with strangers beyond what is strictly
   necessary for the transaction of business legitimately
   connected with the service of the department.

8. No officer or servant shall knowingly and
   wilfully divulge or communicate to any stranger the
   contents of any telegram coming to his knowledge in
   his official capacity, save and except to the sender or
   receiver of such telegram, under pain of incurring
   the penalties laid down in "The Electric Telegraph
   Act, 1865;" and no officer or servant shall communi-
   cate to any other officer or servant the contents of
   any telegram coming to his knowledge solely in his
   official capacity, save and except for the transaction
   or furtherance of the business of the department.

9. No officer or servant shall read or peruse any
   telegram confided to the care of the department
   unless in the discharge or performance of his official
   duties.

10. No officer or servant shall give any unlawful
    priority in the receipt, transmission, or delivery of
    any telegram, nor shall he allow any unlawful priority
    in the receipt, transmission, or delivery of any
    telegram, under pain of incurring the penalties laid
    down in "The Electric Telegraph Act, 1865."

11. Officers and servants are bound in discharging
    their duties to carry out the regulations and con-
    ditions under which telegrams are authorized to be
    transmitted on the lines of the Electric Telegraph
    belonging to the General Government of New
    Zealand.

12. Officers and servants are bound to protect to
    the utmost of their ability the property and interests
    of the department, and to render immediate informa-
    tion to the General Superintendent and General
    Manager of any damage done to the lines or
    property of the department or of any infringement of
    these rules and regulations which may come to their
    knowledge; and they shall prosecute and bring to
    judgment any person or persons whom they shall
    know wilfully to have violated or offended against
    "The Electric Telegraph Act, 1865."

13. Officers and servants are expected to dedicate
    their whole time to the service of the department,
    and no officer or servant of the Electric Telegraph
    Department is allowed to engage in any private
    business or commercial transaction, nor shall he
    engage in commercial speculations of any kind, nor
    act as agent for any public or private company, nor
    for any private firm or private individual whatever.
    Gambling and betting by officers and servants of
    the department are strictly prohibited.

14. Any officer entering the Instrument Room of
    any Station in a state of intoxication, or being found
    in a state of intoxication during his hours of duty,
    will be liable to immediate dismissal from the service,
    and forfeiture of all pay then due.

15. All officers and servants, whether holding per-
    manent appointments or temporary situations must
    sign the form of declaration of secrecy used by the
    department.

16. All persons wishing to obtain appointments in
    this department will be required to send in an appli-
    cation to the General Manager, written and signed
    by the applicant himself, accompanied by testimonials,
    as to character and respectability, from two or three
    persons of known respectability.

Transmission of Telegrams.

17. The following codes are to be used in the trans-
    mission of telegrams, and are framed in accordance
    with "The Electric Telegraph Act, 1865," and the
    regulations and conditions published for the guidance
    of officers and the public generally :-

List of Codes and order in which they are to be used in
the transmission of Telegrams.

L. T.-Line Telegram: Which takes precedence
of all other telegrams, and is only to be used by
officers when communicating with the Telegraphic
Engineer and Electrician on faults or interruptions
occurring on the lines.

U.T.-Urgent Telegram; to be used by Government
or police when necessary, and by private individuals
only, in cases of fire, accident or death, where
medical aid or other assistance is required, or where
accident or death may be prevented.

These telegrams come next in order to L. T.'s.

G. T.-Government Telegram, O. T.-Ordinary
Telegram, and P. T.-Press Telegram; these tele-
grams are to be transmitted as near as possible in
the order in which they are received at the various
Stations, and all precedence or priority in such
telegrams must be absolutely avoided.

These telegrams come next in order to U. T.'s.

S. T.-Service Telegram; this telegram is used by
officers when corresponding on the business of the
department, and should interfere as little as possible
with the ordinary business of the line.

If any telegram is presented for transmission as a
Government Message which appears to the officer
receiving it, not to be bona fide on the "Public
Service," or if any such Message marked urgent is
obviously not of an urgent character, the telegram
must be sent as directed, but the circumstances must
be reported by letter to the General Manager.

When there is a press of business on the lines, or
when only one line is in working order, the following
precautionary measures are to be adopted in accord-
ance with section No. 5 Schedule A. in the trans-
mission of long Press telegrams.

The forwarding Station is not to keep the line
occupied for the transmission of Press telegrams
except the English Mail news for a longer period
than one hour at a time.

At the expiration of the hour, all O. T. telegrams
must be transmitted, bearing date of thirty minutes
delay.

Thus, if a Press telegram arrive at 10 a.m. the
line may be engaged in its transmission up to 11 a.m.,
and at 11 a.m. the line must be given up for the
transmission of O. T.'s, and all O. T.'s must be trans-
mitted bearing date up to 10:30 a.m.

When these O. T.'s are cleared out the line may
be again occupied for the space of one hour in trans-
mitting the Press matter.

On the expiration of the hour, say at 12.30 p.m.,
the line must be again given up for the transmission
of O. T.'s bearing date up to 12 noon, and as soon as
these O. T.'s shall have been cleared out, another