THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 315

195. The alleged loss of a key should be
     striedy investigated, and if the key should not be
     found, the police should be communicated with,
     and the Postmaster should at once report the
     circumstance to the Inspector of Post Offices.
     When a lost key is found a reward of five shillings
     to the finder must always be made good by the
     person through whose carelessness the loss may
     have taken place.

196. An account must be taken of the number
     of letters posted in iron pillar and wall receiving
     boxes, and a return of them sent to the Inspector
     at the close of each quarter. The boxes should
     be washed at certain periods, and repainted when
     necessary; the locks and hinges should be oiled
     to prevent rust. Any damage should be at once
     reported to the Inspector; and if a box become
     insecure, the aperture should be closed, and a
     notice posted on the box stating that it is closed
     temporarily during repair.

197. Before taking legal proceedings for the
     recovery of postage on letters delivered from the
     office, the Postmaster is recommended to apply to
     the Secretary for advice.

198. Every Chief Postmaster, Postmaster, and
     Sub-Postmaster is supplied with a copy of each
     edition of the "New Zealand Postal Guide,"
     which he must consider as a book of instructions
     for himself, as well as one of reference for the
     public. New instructions are issued by Circulars,
     which are numbered for the purpose of reference.
     These Circulars must be exhibited in a part of the
     office conspicuous to every officer, but not open to
     the public. It is a Postmaster's duty to make him-
     self thoroughly acquainted with the instructions
     in the Circulars, and to require his subordinate
     officers to do the same. One copy of each official
     Circular must be carefully filed. Notices to the
     public are issued separately, and must be exhibited
     in the windows, or in whatever part of the office
     they can be most conveniently read by the public.

199. Applications and inquiries addressed to
     the Secretary, either by the public or a Post-
     master, or by any other officer of the Department,
     become official papers; and when referred to a
     Postmaster for any purpose, must, on no account,
     be retained by him, but must be carefully returned
     to the Secretary along with the report that may
     be required. In like manner papers referred to
     Postmasters by the Inspector or by the Controller
     of Money Orders and Savings Banks, must be
     returned to these officers.

200. No official paper of any kind, whether
     it require a reply or not, should be returned
     without some observations showing that it has
     been received; and such observations should be
     written, if possible, directly below the communi-
     cation to which they reply, so that the questions
     and answers, or observations and rejoinders may
     appear in consecutive order according to their
     dates.

201. When papers relating to errors committed
     by his subordinates are referred to a Postmaster,
     he must not be content with simply forwarding
     their explanations, but must state whether they
     may be accepted as satisfactory, and must add
     any information that may be necessary to render
     the matter quite clear.

202. Postmasters are not permitted to forward
     their private correspondence with each other free
     of postage.

203. When it is necessary for a Postmaster to
     address any person by letter, in order to rectify
     an error committed at his office, he must prepay
     the letter, and the officer who committed the
     error must bear the expense.

204. When any expense, whether to the depart-
     ment or to the public, is caused by the fault of
     any officer, the Postmaster-General will, if he
     think fit, direct such expense to be paid by such
     officer.

205. All requisite stationery, books, forms, &c.,
     must be applied for by requisition to the Secretary.
     Requisitions for forms relating to Money Orders
     and Savings Banks, as also all communications
     relating to these departments, must be made to
     the Controller of Money Orders and Savings
     Banks.

206. A Postmaster, on receiving notice of a
     mail being lost or stolen, must immediately
     report the circumstances to the Chief Postmaster,
     and to the police authorities of the district. The
     despatching Postmaster must as soon as possible
     furnish the corresponding office and the Chief
     Postmaster with copies of the letter bill, and a
     list of the registered letters and money order
     advices (if any), and other information as to the
     contents and description of the missing mail. The
     Chief Postmaster must report all the circum-
     stances of the case to the Inspector of Post
     Offices without delay.

207. No Newspaper or Trade Circular can pass
     through any Post Office under the Regulations
     of the Newspaper Post, until it has first been
     registered at the General Post Office. Applica-
     tions for registration, accompanied by a copy of
     the Newspaper or Trade Circular, must be made
     to the Secretary. Postmasters are requested to
     forward in a letter to the Postmaster-General
     a copy of any newspaper published in their towns
     containing articles or complaints respecting the
     Postal or Telegraph services, such articles or
     complaints to be marked. Any expense incurred
     for the cost of such newspapers will be reimbursed
     on being claimed under the head of " Con-
     tingencies."

208. No person other than a Postmaster shall,
     unless specially licensed by the Postmaster-
     General, sell postage labels, under a penalty of
     ten pounds.

209. Late letters for the United Kingdom,
     by way of Suez, and for the United Kingdom,
     America, and the West Indies, by way of Panama,
     and for the Australian Colonies, will be received
     until within twenty minutes of the latest period
     of despatch from the Post Office, providing such
     letters bear each in postage stamps a late fee of
     sixpence, over and above the full postage rates.

210. Late letters, for places within the Colony,
     will also be received until within twenty minutes
     of the hour of despatch from the Post Office,
     providing such letters bear each in postage stamps
     sixpence, over and above the full postage rates.

211. Late letters, for places within the Colony,
     posted in the receiving boxes on board the mail
     steamers, also require the above late fee of six-
     pence. Should such late fee or postage be