Mar. 31] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 551

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.

2. 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.

3. The above instructions do not apply to the following classes of letters, which, however, are sent at once to the Dead Letter Office after having been retained in accordance with paragraph 1: Registered and official letters (excepting those otherwise specially directed), surcharged letters, and letters containing coin.

4. Special-request letters are recommended to be marked as follows, near the left-hand upper corner: “If not claimed in ten days return to [name and address].”

BUSINESS HOURS.

1. All post-offices are opened for delivery of letters, sale of stamps, receipt and delivery of parcels, and registration of letters, &c., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except as otherwise shown in the list of post-offices) on week-days only. Money-order and savings-bank business is transacted at certain offices and hours named at pages 139–141 of the Post and Telegraph Guide, on week-days only.

2. Certain post-offices specially authorised by the Postmaster-General may be closed during the periods of sorting and despatching mails.

3. Telegraph.—The hours of attendance at offices where telegraph business is transacted, and a list of these offices, will be found at pages 159–174 of the Post and Telegraph Guide.

4. Post Office and Telegraph Holidays.—The statutory post-office and telegraph holidays are New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Queen’s Birthday, Prince of Wales’s Birthday, and Christmas Day. Partial holidays are observed on Easter Monday and Boxing Day.

DELIVERY.

1. To facilitate the delivery of letters a letter-box should be affixed to every house-door.

2. Deliveries from office counters, &c., are made from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on week-days, but certain post-offices specially authorised by the Postmaster-General may be closed during the periods of sorting and despatching mails.

3. Letter-carriers and messengers are prohibited from distributing any letters, newspapers, &c., except such as have passed through a post-office. They are not allowed to deliver in the street or elsewhere except at houses or places of business, even to addressees; nor are they allowed to deliver under doors. They are not permitted to receive any payment beyond the postage for the delivery or collection of any letter or newspaper, or to deviate from the route laid down for them. The prohibition, however, from receiving payment in addition to the postage does not extend to Christmas gratuities. For delivery of parcels by parcel-post, see regulations under “Parcel Post.”

4. No person living within the town free delivery can claim to have his letters delivered at the office if a delivery by letter-carrier is about to take place; but letters which arrive by a mail, after which there is no immediate delivery by letter-carrier, may be obtained by any person on application at the office, so long as it is open for delivery.

5. Receipts must be given for all registered articles upon delivery thereof.

6. Letters addressed to the post-office, or to be kept till called for, may be obtained at the office, except where it is ascertained that it is the practice of persons living within the town delivery to have their letters so addressed, in which cases they will be sent out by letter-carrier. Letters for persons residing beyond any official delivery will be delivered on application at the office. 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 (except under the provisions for special request, see “Special-request Letters”), as every letter must be delivered to the person to whom it is originally directed, and to him alone. Information must not be given by a postal officer respecting letters, &c., which pass through a post-office, except to the persons to whom they are addressed.

TIMES FOR POSTING CORRESPONDENCE.

1. 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 letters may be posted until within twenty minutes of the time the mail leaves the office.

2. Late letters may also be posted on board steamers, and in the travelling post-offices 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.

POSTAGE AND REVENUE STAMPS, POST-CARDS, AND NEWSPAPER WRAPPERS.

1. Every Postmaster is required to keep for sale to the public a sufficient stock of the various postage and revenue labels and post-cards in use in the colony, and to sell them at the following prices:—

s. d. s. d.
Halfpenny labels ... ... 0 ½ each Post-cards ... ... 0 1 each
Penny labels ... ... 0 1 „ Reply-paid post-cards ... 0 2 „
Twopenny labels ... ... 0 2 „ Letter-cards ... ... 0 1½ „
Twopence halfpenny labels ... 0 2½ „ Newspaper wrappers—
Threepenny labels ... ... 0 3 „ Parcels of 18 ... 0 10 „
Fourpenny labels ... ... 0 4 „ Parcels of 270 ... 12 6 „
Fivepenny labels ... ... 0 5 „ Registered-letter envelopes—
Sixpenny labels ... ... 0 6 „ (No. 1) Small (5¼" x 3¼") { 3 3 doz.
Eightpenny labels ... ... 0 8 „ 0 3¼ ea.
Ninepenny labels ... ... 0 9 „ (No. 2) Medium (6" x 3⅝") { 3 3 doz.
One-shilling labels ... ... 1 0 „ 0 3¼ ea.
Two-shilling labels ... ... 2 0 „ (No. 3) Large (11¼" x 6") * { 4 0 doz.
Five-shilling labels ... ... 5 0 „ 0 4 ea.
Also stamps of such higher value as
the work of any office may render
necessary.

• Including registration-fee of 3d.