306
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

3. For omitting to forward a registered letter at the proper
   time, or otherwise causing its detention.
4. For wrongly entering, or omitting to enter, the number
   of registered letters on the letter-bill.

For each of the following irregularities, the
fine is two shillings :—
5. For omitting to enter on the letter-bill a surcharged
registered letter.
6. For omitting to enter on the letter-bill any official money
or property letter.
7. For omitting to enter on the letter-bill a returned
registered letter.
8. For omitting to enter a registered or property letter on
the returned or dead letter claim form.
9. For omitting to tie with green tape a registered letter.
10. For omitting to send a list or letter-bill.
11. For sending a list or letter-bill wrongly headed.
12. For omitting to write the word "Registered" in red ink.
13. For omitting to grant or obtain a receipt under Rule 59.
14. For omitting to report any of the above irregularities.

86. If a registered letter is observed to be
    open, or in a torn or insecure condition, it must
    be secured (see Rule 164), and the circumstance
    reported by the first opportunity. In the case of
    such letter received for delivery, the report should
    state if possible whether the contents were found
    safe by the owner.

87. The foregoing fines will be strictly enforced,
    and should the Postmaster omit to report the
    irregularities, he will incur the serious displeasure
    of the Postmaster-General. Sub-Postmasters are
    in like manner required to report registered letter
    and other irregularities committed at Chief Offices,
    and will be furnished with forms for the purpose.

88. When a registered letter or property letter
    is mis-sent, or when such letter is entered on the
    letter-bill or list and is not received, the error
    must when possible be reported to the despatching
    office by telegraph, and it must also be reported
    in the usual form by the first post. In reporting
    received registered letter irregularities, the covers
    of the registered letters referred to, must, when
    practicable, be obtained and forwarded with the
    report.

IX.—DESPATCH OF MAILS.

89. The despatching Postmaster must examine
    and see that the postage stamps affixed to inland
    letters are sufficient, and, if not, must surcharge
    the letters in accordance with Rule 31. He
    should also take pains to see that the proper
    amount of postage in stamps is affixed to Colonial
    and foreign letters (see Rule 31). The same rule
    must be observed in regard to book and other
    packets, whether for places within or beyond the
    Colony. Letters bearing postage stamps which
    have been defaced, or which are imperfect, must
    be treated according to Rule 172, and attention
    must be paid to Rules 34 and 38, as to limitation
    of weight and size, and as to forbidden contents.

90. The despatching Postmaster is responsible
    that postage stamps are carefully and completely
    defaced, and that every letter and book or pattern-
    packet bears a distinct impression of his office or
    date stamp.

91. When the letters have been thus examined
    and prepared, they must be sorted for despatch
    in the proper mails. In offices which make up
    a number of mails, the letters should first be
    sorted into divisions or roads, and those in each
    division should be sub-divided and sorted into
    the proper boxes or pigeon holes. The arrange-
    ment of this duty must depend upon circum-
    stances, which vary at different offices, and a

instruction when he finds any difficulty in per-
forming it in a satisfactory manner: his object
should be to sort accurately, and to despatch the
mails with quickness and regularity, and yet so
to apportion the work that he may be able to
trace every error to the officer by whom it was
committed.

92. A letter-bill must be sent with every mail
    that is made up, and in the case of an inland or
    sub-office to which mails are despatched at regular
    intervals, a letter-bill must be sent, headed and
    signed in the usual way, even when there are
    no letters to send. Every letter-bill must be duly
    dated and signed in full by the despatching
    officer, and, when such officer is not the Post-
    master, the word "for" must be prefixed to the
    printed word "Postmaster." Every letter-bill
    must be numbered in progressive series, com-
    mencing with No. 1 at the beginning of each
    year, each Post Office to which mails are de-
    spatched having a distinct series.

93. The letter-bill accompanying a mail must
    always be tied on the outside of the bundle
    containing the registered letters, property letters,
    and unpaid letters, the postage on which is
    entered in the letter-bill; this bundle should be
    tied over the ends as well as round the middle.
    Charged newspapers, or charged book or pattern-
    packets, the postage on which is entered in the
    letter-bill, must form a separate bundle, and must
    not be tied up with the letter-bill. Ordinary
    letters must be tied and wrapped in bundles; but,
    newspapers, and books, or pattern-packets, may
    be despatched loose in the bag. Letters which
    are sent as forward on any office, should be tied
    in separate bundles from those for the delivery
    of such office.

94. Great care should be taken that bundles of
    letters are not put into the wrong bags, and so
    serious a blunder will be best prevented by having
    the bag label attached so that it may be plainly
    seen by the despatching officer, who should care-
    fully examine the outside letter in each bundle
    before placing it in the bags.

95. In preparing inland and sub-office mails,
    the letters must be separated into the classes or
    divisions provided for them in the letter-bills, as
    follows :— Inland Mails.
    Class A.—Unpaid letters, &c., for the corresponding office
    or any of its sub-offices.
    Class B.—Stamped letters for delivery at the corresponding
    office.
    Class C.—Stamped letters for sub-offices to the correspond-
    ing office, or for any other forward office.
    Class D.—Franked letters.
    Class E.—Stamped newspapers.

Sub-Office Mails.
Class A.—Unpaid letters, &c., which have already been
charged and brought to account against Chief Office.
Class B.—Unpaid letters, &c., which have been posted at
the Chief Office, or which have not already been
charged against it.
Class C.—Stamped or paid letters.
Class D.—Franked letters.
Class E.—Registered letters.
Class F.—Surcharges made at sub-offices.
To facilitate sorting at the receiving office, the
despatching officer should distinguish the class of
letters each bundle belongs to by writing in large
characters outside the wrapping paper of the