312
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

an impression of the office stamp of the date on
which it is so sent. The words in italics, which
follow the description of the letter in the
following rule, are those which must be written
in red ink on the letters to which the rule applies.
159. Letters, &c., described under the following
heads A. to K. must always be sent to the Dead
Letter Office by the first dead letter mail after
the necessity for doing so has been ascertained:-
(A.) A letter posted without an address. (Not addressed.)
(B.) A letter posted without the name of a Post Office on
the address, unless for a person living within the
delivery of the Post Office when posted, or for a
well known person or place in any other delivery.
(Insufficient address.)
(c.) A letter for a deceased person, when it cannot be
delivered to a proper representative. (Deceased.)
(D.) A letter addressed to a street or place, when there is
no street or place in the town of that name or a
similar name, unless there be no reasonable doubt that
the letter can be delivered to the person for whom it
is intended. (No such street (or place) in)
(E.) A letter which has been absolutely refused. (Refused.)
(F.) A letter for a person who has gone away without
leaving an address. (Gone—No address.)
(G.) A letter, the owner of which cannot be found, although
it be addressed to a particular house. (Not found.)
Unless directed "to remain till called for" at such
house, or "to wait arrival," or in words to that effect,
in which case it may be considered to be finally delivered
when left there.
(H.) A letter addressed to the town only, and to a person
not known, unless directed to be "kept till called for."
(Not known.)
(I.) A letter addressed to the "Post Office," or "to be kept
till called for," or to a person residing beyond the
bounds of the letter carriers' delivery. (Not called for.)
(K.) At sea ports, a letter addressed to a ship may be kept
the usual time, unless it be known that the ship has
failed to arrive as expected, or has sailed to some other
port, and is not likely to return within that period.
In such cases, when the captain or agent has left no
instructions, the letter should be sent to the Dead
Letter Office, in the first dead letter mail, marked,
"Ship sailed, not known where."

160. Registered letters and property letters are
     subject to all these rules, but whether kept in the
     office, or forwarded to the Dead Letter Office,
     great care must be taken that the proper check
     upon them is not lost.

161. In acting upon these rules every Post-
     master must bear in mind that the object of them
     is to ensure the delivery of every letter to its right
     owner, and when that is impossible, to secure its
     speedy return to the person who wrote it by means
     of the Dead Letter Office; but in no case should
     any of the rules be so applied as to prevent the
     delivery of a letter to a person for whom it may
     reasonably be believed to be intended.

162. A Postmaster must carefully examine
     letters sent back from his sub-offices before he
     forwards them to the Dead Letter Office; and if
     he considers that they have been improperly
     returned, he must send them back to the Sub-
     Postmaster with proper instructions.

163. No undelivered letters are to be exempted
     from the above rules; neither is any exception to
     be made as respects letters called "Valentines,"
     which must in all respects be treated like other
     letters.

164. Should a letter intended for one person be
     delivered to another (which must be prevented if
     possible), and should it be opened by the wrong
     person, the name of this latter person and his
     address must be written on it, and the reason why
     it is returned; thus, "Opened by [name and
     address of person]—Not for him;" and the letter

must be re-sealed, care being taken, as in all
similar cases, that the seal is not placed upon the
original fastening.

165. It is not permitted to return any letter to
     the writer or sender, or to any one else, or to
     delay forwarding it to its destination according to
     the address, even though a request to such effect
     be written thereon, as every letter must be
     delivered to the person to whom it is originally
     directed, and to him alone. All applications for
     the return of letters which have arrived for delivery
     must be sent to the Dead Letter Office, and it
     must be stated by the Postmaster whether the
     letter is still at his office, and if so, how long it has
     to remain: thus, "The letter is here, and has to
     remain
     "

166. If a letter should be received under
     cover to an officer of the Post Office with a
     request that he will post it, such request must
     not be complied with; and the letter and cover
     must be forwarded to the Dead Letter Office.

XIX.—POSTAGE STAMPS.

167. A Postmaster is required to have on hand
     a sufficient stock of postage labels of every
     denomination, and to sell them to the public at
     the following prices :-

Penny labels
... ... ... 1d. each.
Twopenny labels
... ... ... 2d. each.
Threepenny labels
... ... ... 3d. each.
Fourpenny labels
... ... ... 4d. each.
Sixpenny labels
... ... ... 6d. each.
Shilling labels
... ... ... 1s. each.

168. A poundage of two and a half per cent. is
     granted to some country Postmasters and to
     licensed Vendors. Postmasters, Sub-Postmasters,
     and licensed Vendors will obtain their supplies
     of postage stamps from the Chief Postmasters of
     their district; and Chief Postmasters will apply
     for their supplies to the Secretary.

169. A Chief Postmaster is, in the first instance,
     supplied with a certain stock of stamps, considered
     and called the full stock of his office; and on the
     last day in each month he must make a retur to
     the Secretary showing the stock then on hand.
     Whenever an application is made for stamps,
     which should be, if practicable, quarterly, the
     stock then on hand must be fully stated upon the
     form of application.

170. Postmasters, or Sub-Postmasters who are
     under bond to the Crown, can be supplied with
     postage stamps by requisition from the Chief Office,
     but must account for the same monthly. Chief
     Postmasters will advance to Postmasters who
     receive poundage a supply of stamps equal in value
     to a quarter's salary; but any further requisition
     will require to be accompanied with a remittance
     in full payment of the same.

171. Every supply of stamps sent to a Post-
     master or a Sub-Postmaster must be entered on
     the letter bill, and the Postmaster or Sub-
     Postmaster must acknowledge their receipt by his
     signature.

172. As far as practicable, the stamps on letters
     posted at any Post Office, as well as those brought
     in by messengers, should be examined for the
     purpose of ascertaining that they have not been
     previously used, and are genuine. If any be
     discovered which appear to have been previously
     used, the letters to which they are affixed must
     be forwarded to the Secretary, with a report of