992
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 55

Correspondence should show address of senders.

Letters should be gummed and not sealed.

Addresses of newspapers should be given on papers as well as covers.

Valuable articles should invariably be posted registered.

Letters should not be conveyed except by Post Office.

The addresses on letters should be full and distinct.

Postmasters to examine packets, so as to detect infringements of rules.

Packets which might be injured through being subject to great pressure, should not be sent by post.

Every letter or other article should contain the full address of the sender, in order to insure its return if the person to whom it is directed cannot be found. A much larger portion of the undelivered letters could be returned if the names and addresses of the senders were always plainly written inside or embossed on the envelopes.

The practice of sealing letters passing to and from countries with hot climates with wax (except such as is specially prepared) is attended with much inconvenience, and frequently with serious injury, not only to the letters so sealed, but to the other letters in the mail, from the melting of the wax and adhesion of the letters to each other. The public are therefore recommended, in all such cases, to use either wafers or gum, and to advise their correspondents in the countries referred to to do the same.

In order that no failure may occur in the delivery of newspapers through the covers becoming detached, it is recommended that the addresses be written on exposed parts of the newspapers themselves, as well as on the covers.

Neither money nor any other valuable article ought ever to be sent through the post, except by means of a money-order, postal note, or in a registered letter. Any person who sends money or jewellery in an unregistered letter, not only runs a risk of losing his property, but exposes to temptation every one through whose hands his letter passes.

Any person conveying (otherwise than by the post) a letter not exempted from the exclusive privilege of the Postmaster-General, incurs, by law, a penalty of £20 for every letter so conveyed.

Much difficulty is experienced in the delivery to their right owners of letters imperfectly addressed; and the Post Office has frequently incurred unjust censure either for unintentionally delivering such letters to wrong persons, or for declining the responsibility of delivering them at all. The address of every letter ought to be full and distinct; and, in the case of the larger towns, the name of the street (and occupation when any) should always form part of the address. The practice of addressing letters to a town only prevails to a large extent, and in such cases the letters are not only liable to suffer delay, but to be lost altogether through being delivered to wrong persons.

It is the duty of Postmasters, whenever they have ground for suspecting an infringement of any of the conditions relating to commercial papers, pattern and sample packets, newspapers, and printed papers generally, and occasionally even where there is no ground for suspicion, to open and examine packets posted at or passing through their offices.

To prevent obstacles to the regular transmission of letters, a Postmaster may, when necessary, delay forwarding any book-packets or newspapers until the following despatch.

The main business of the Post Office being the transmission of letters, the forwarding of book-packets and newspapers (which no one is compelled to send through the Post Office), though an important, is only a secondary object, for which no arrangement can be made which would interfere with the quick and regular conveyance and delivery of letters. Books and packets, therefore, which would be injured by being thrust into a bag and hurriedly pressed down like a bundle of letters, should not be sent through the post.

ALEX. WILLIS,
Clerk of the Executive Council.