308

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

solution of potash or soda, or with printers' lye, using
for the purpose a small brush. Type which has been
used must be cleaned before it is replaced in the box.
2. The cushion on which the letters are placed to be
stamped should be quite even, and very slightly elastic,
and it should be laid upon a slab of stone, or thick
plank resting firmly on wooden supports.
3. The stamp should be held firmly in the hand, and struck
upon the letter with a light sharp blow, care being
taken not to let the stamp fall upon the impression
made at another office. It is in the power of any one,
by attention and practice, to become a good and rapid
stamper.
4. Strict attention should be paid to keeping the pad
constantly fit for use by supplying it with stamping
ink, so that it shall always be in a moist state. If the
pad is allowed to become saturated, or the stamp dirty,
the stamping will be smeared and indistinct.

107. It is a Postmaster's duty to take proper
     notice of defective stamping at Post Offices which
     are subordinate to him. Should a subordinate
     Postmaster neglect his admonitions, the case
     must be at once reported to the Inspector.

108. It is necessary that the Inspector should
     know how the stamping duty is performed, and a
     report must be made to him of any imperfections
     in the stamping of an office from which a mail is
     received. The necessity of the official stamp
     being distinct, and the Inspector's inability to
     secure the proper performance of this duty, unless
     he knows where it is neglected, must be evident
     to every intelligent Postmaster. The Postmaster-
     General therefore relies upon every good officer
     doing his best to assist the Inspector in this
     matter.

109. The duty of stamping letters, &c., will
     be as follows :—

110. Letters posted at offices where double stamps are used
     will bear the dates on the front or address sides, care
     being taken that no part of the address is defaced.

111. Letters posted where single stamps only are used will
     bear the date on the backs.

112. Letters received from another office, whether for de-
     livery or in transit, will be date stamped on the back.

113. Re-directed letters will also be date stamped on the
     back.

114. Returned and dead letters will be stamped on the back
     with the date stamp of the day on which the dead
     letter mail is made up.

115. Book and other packets must be stamped as if they were
     ordinary letters.

116. For date, obliterating, and other stamping, only black
     stamping ink must be used.

117. Every letter posted too late for any mail must be marked
     with the "Too Late" stamp, or the words "Too Late"
     written in red ink on its face at the left hand top
     corner, otherwise the impression of the date stamp on
     it will be regarded as evidence that the letter was in
     time for the mail of that date.

118. Every letter mis-sent to any office must, either by stamp
     or writing in red ink on its face, bear the words "mis-
     sent to" (naming the office).

119. The defacing stamp requires the same
     kind of pad as the dated stamp, and equal care
     should be taken in using it. Proper obliteration
     consists in making the letter or figure of the
     defacing stamp appear distinctly legible on the
     postage stamp without smearing it. When the
     double stamp is used care must be taken not to
     encroach on the address of the letter.

120. Application for new stamps, or for the
     repair of stamps, must be made to the Secretary;
     and no Postmaster will be excused for continuing
     to use an imperfect stamp. When a new stamp
     is supplied the old one should be returned to the
     Secretary, who will, when it is worth the expense,
     cause it to be re-cut and sent back. When a
     new seal is required, application must also be
     made to the Secretary.

XII.—DELIVERY OF LETTERS.

112. The delivery of a Post Office includes
     every place which receives its letters through
     that office. The town delivery of an office com-
     prises every house within the boundary of the
     letter-carriers' delivery.

113. The first delivery should, if possible,
     commence punctually at the hour at which
     the office is opened. The letter-carriers and
     messengers must never be allowed to open letter-
     bags, or to deal with letter-bills or accounts; nor
     can they be allowed to assist in the general sorting
     of letters, or to have access to any, except those
     for their own delivery. They may however be
     employed to sort newspapers and book and
     pattern-packets.

114. No letters must be passed to the letter-
     carriers for delivery until they have been divided
     into the several walks; and Postmasters must
     bear in mind that it is necessary to confine this
     duty to the smallest possible number of hands,
     consistently with due despatch.

115. The amount of unpaid postage charged
     against each letter-carrier should be entered in
     a book or on a slate, and the correctness of the
     charge should be acknowledged by him before
     he leaves the office. A letter-carrier is not
     required to give credit for postage; and if he
     does so, it is on his own responsibility.

116. Each letter-carrier must arrange the
     letters for his own delivery before he leaves the
     office; and on no pretence must he go to his own
     house, or to any other, except for the purpose of
     leaving letters, until his delivery is completed.
     He must also proceed as rapidly as possible, so
     that every letter may reach its destination without
     unnecessary delay. A letter-carrier who wilfully
     delays the delivery of a letter, or who is drunk
     upon duty, is liable not only to dismissal but to
     be punished by law.

117. Every delivery must commence as nearly
     as possible at the hour fixed for it; and, unless,,
     in peculiar cases, all the town letter-carriers should
     leave the office at the same moment.

118. Each letter-carrier must return to the
     office directly he has completed his delivery, and
     must give back any letters, &c., which for any
     reason may remain undelivered; it being for-
     bidden, under pain of dismissal, that he should
     retain them in his own possession. He must
     also pay the postage which is charged against
     him.

119. The Letter-carriers' Attendance Book
     must be carefully kept. The hour at which each
     man completes his delivery is to be entered
     therein, and not the hour at which he may return
     to the office; and he is held strictly responsible
     that he gives the correct time. It should be
     ascertained by occasional personal inspection that
     the letter-carriers do not loiter while engaged on
     their walks, and that they truly state the time at
     which they complete their deliveries.

120. It is the duty of the Postmaster to arrange
     the walks of the letter-carriers, so as, without
     unduly favouring any person or locality, to insure
     an early delivery to the more important portions
     of the town, and a delivery in every portion
     of it with the least possible delay. No letter-
     carrier should deviate from the walk laid down
     for him.