1092
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 72

delivered to the person to whom it is originally directed, and to him alone. No information must be given by a postal officer respecting letters, &c., which pass through a Post Office, except to the persons to whom they are addressed.

Private Boxes and Bags.

Private letter-boxes are provided for merchants and others upon payment, in advance, of the following fees:—
(a.) For a term exceeding six calendar months and not exceeding one year, one pound (£1).
(b.) For a term not exceeding six calendar months, ten shillings (10s.); and
(c.) Provided that no private box shall be let for a term less than six months, to date from the day on which the same shall be let; and that, where there are two or more applicants for the same box at the same time, the preference shall be given to the person desiring to have the same for the longest term.

No private box can be held in the joint names of a number of persons unless it be known that the applicants are in business partnership. Private persons are not permitted to join in renting a private box. Subject to the above restrictions, any person can have a private box who is willing to pay the appointed rent. No person can be permitted to engage a private box for Sunday or certain day or days only.

Letters directed to any person renting a private box, and letters directed to members of the family or servants, also letters directed to the care of the box-holder, will be deposited in the box (unless written notice be given to the contrary). The registered and unpaid correspondence will be retained by the delivery-clerk, and the box-holder notified by means of cards placed in the box.

Each box is provided with a door, lock and key, which must be kept in repair at the holder’s expense.

Private box-lobbies at chief post offices are open on week-days from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. At all other offices the hours are irregular, and vary from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to local requirements. The lobbies are also open on Sundays and holidays but at irregular hours.

Persons residing upon mail routes requiring the accommodation of private bags can obtain the same upon payment, in advance, of the under-mentioned fees to the Chief Postmaster of the district, and subject to the following regulations:—
(a.) The fees payable for private mail bags shall be—For a term exceeding six calendar months and not exceeding one year, two pounds (£2); for a term not exceeding six calendar months, one pound (£1). Provided that no private mail bag shall be let for a term less than six months, to date from the day on which the same shall be let.
(b.) The bag must be of leather, with a lock and two keys, and provided and kept in repair at the cost of the person requiring it. When empty it must not exceed two pounds in weight. All private bags must be approved by the Postmaster.
(c.) The Postmaster must securely lock the bag before despatching it, and it must be returned to the Postmaster in the same manner.
(d.) The bag must only contain correspondence for persons connected with the establishment of the owner of the bag, or who may be in his employment; and it must be distinctly understood that such owner is responsible for the postage of all unpaid letters, and for returning receipts for all those which may be registered.

Mail contractors are bound to convey and deliver, free of charge to the holders, all private bags given to them by Postmasters or under their instructions, but are not required to deviate from the prescribed mail route, and are on no account to be delayed. Should a return bag not be ready at the appointed time and place, the Contractors are not required to wait for it.

Unclaimed Letters.

On the first day of each month a list is exhibited at each Post Office in the Colony of the addresses of all letters received from places beyond the Colony that have remained unclaimed for two months at such Post Office, exclusive of the month in which they were received; and such of these letters as remain unclaimed at the end of a further period of one month are then forwarded to the Dead Letter Office, to be returned unopened to the countries where they originated. Unclaimed letters originating in the Colony are not advertised, but at the end of one month are forwarded (excepting special-request letters) to the Dead Letter Office, Wellington, there to be opened and returned to the writers.

Special Request Letters.

Letters posted in the colony, having the names and addresses of the senders written, printed, or embossed on the address side or on the fly of the envelopes, are returned unopened to the writers or senders by Chief Postmasters, when not claimed within thirty days; and all such letters which have, in addition, a request on the address side of the cover that the letters be returned if not claimed within a stated period, are also returned unopened by Chief Postmasters. No such letters, however, will be returned unless they have remained in the Post Office to which addressed at least ten days.

Letters of this class originating at hotels, clubs, or places of public resort are not returned unopened by Chief Postmasters unless, in addition to the printed or embossed address on the cover, the name of the actual sender also appears.

The above instructions do not apply to the following classes of letters, which are sent to the Dead Letter Office:—Registered and official letters (excepting those otherwise specially directed), surcharged letters, and letters containing coin.

Times for Posting Correspondence.

Seaborne mails, as a general rule, are closed for ordinary correspondence one hour previous to the despatch of the mails from the Post Office, but by payment of a late fee (see § 4, page 1093), letters may be posted until within twenty minutes of the time the mail leaves the office.

Late letters may also be posted on board steamers, and in the travelling post office and guards’ vans of the principal trains. The late fee in all cases is, for places beyond the colony, an extra single rate of postage; and, for delivery within the colony, one penny additional postage.