Jan. 8.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 21

Circular telegram will be sent by Controller to Chief Postmasters.
(c.) A circular telegram in the following terms will be sent by the Controller to each Chief Postmaster, and by Chief Postmasters to their respective sub-offices :—

Form of telegram.

“Money-order Forms Nos. to stolen from . Act upon Instructions, Rule 92.”

(d.) When suburban and other offices can be reached by daily mail the instruction must be sent by post instead of by telegraph.

The instructions are as follows :—

Action to be taken on receipt of warning.

(e.) Upon receipt of warning of a theft of money-order forms, every office which pays money-orders must take the following precautions :—

Advices on hand to be examined.

(1.) All money-order advices, either in hand at the time the warning arrives or afterwards received, must be carefully examined, and if an advice corresponding with one of the stolen money-order forms be discovered it must at once be marked “Stolen,” and the Controller, Money-order Office, Wellington, advised by telegram.

Steps to be taken if stolen orders presented for payment.

(2.) If any one of the money-order forms described be tendered for payment, whether by a banker or any other person, the officer to whom it is tendered should refuse payment and impound the form; and he should also detain the person tendering the form unless such person be known to him, or able to give a satisfactory explanation of his possession of it. In any case a telegram should at once be sent to the Controller, Money-order Office, Wellington, giving an account of the attempt to cash the form.

Suspension of business at a post-office which is also a money-order office.

93. When from any reason it is necessary to suspend business at a post-office which is also a money-order office, the Chief Postmaster of the district must cause all money on hand due from the Postmaster to be remitted to him. Arrangements should also be made for the safe custody of the money-order and advice forms, and all the official books and forms used in connection therewith. A copy of the subjoined notice should also be exhibited in the window of the vacant office :—

Form of notice to be exhibited.

“Suspension of Business.

“The business of this office is for the present suspended.

“Any money-orders drawn on this office will be paid on application at [naming the office], or the money will be sent by post on a written application to that effect enclosing the money-order duly signed, and showing on the back of the order the required information respecting the remitter’s name.

“ , Chief Postmaster.

“Date : .”

Suspension of business to be reported.

(a.) The suspension of money-order business must be reported at once to the Controller, Money-order Office, Wellington. All advices addressed to the vacant office must be intercepted and treated as payable at the nearest money-order office.

Bond of security.

94. The Postmaster will be required to give security by bond to the Crown when he is not secured under the Civil Service Officers’ Guarantee Act.

Preservation of books, forms, &c.

95. The books, forms, &c., supplied to Postmasters for money-order business must be carefully preserved, and must be delivered up by the officers intrusted with them when they are called upon to do so, or when they give up charge of their offices.

Reserve cash balance.

96. The Postmaster will be allowed to retain a certain fixed amount of official cash, called a “reserve balance,” to enable him to meet the ordinary requirements of his office. If, however,, in special circumstances it should be necessary for the Postmaster to keep an amount of cash above the authorised reserve, to enable him to pay money-orders that have been advised upon his office, and payment of which will be immediately required, he must report the facts to his Chief Office, forwarding a list of the vouchers for demands which his ordinary reserve balance may be insufficient to meet.

Funds in excess of authorised reserve not to be retained to meet orders over three months old.

97. The Postmaster cannot be permitted to retain funds in excess of his authorised cash reserve, to meet the payment of orders drawn upon his office, if the advices are more than three months old.

Remittances.

98. Except in the foregoing circumstances, the Postmaster must remit to his Chief Office by every mail all the official cash, exclusive of odd shillings and pence, in his possession in excess of his authorised reserve, whenever that excess reaches or exceeds £10.

Should be enclosed in form provided for purpose.

(a.) Remittances should be enclosed in the form provided for the purpose, the amount being stated opposite to that heading in the form which describes its nature. When despatching a remittance the Postmaster must describe it on his letter-bill as “Official Remittance.” It must never be enclosed in the envelope in which the Post Office Account is sent.

Application for funds.

99. Should the Postmaster receive notice of unusually large demands to be made upon his office, and for the payment of which he requires more cash than the reserve balance, he must, when no funds have been specially remitted to him or authorised to be retained, apply to his Chief Postmaster for a remittance on the form (Acct. No. 93) called “Requisition for Funds,” taking care to despatch it as a separate letter. Should he be unable to meet an authorised demand for want of funds he must report the fact by the first post to his Chief Office.

May be made by telegraph in urgent cases.

(a.) In urgent cases the Postmaster may telegraph for funds. The telegram should be forwarded as early in the day as possible, and be worded as briefly as the sense will permit.

Remittances by telegraph.

(b.) In all cases in which a Postmaster is placed in funds by telegraph the usual form of advice of remittance (Acct. No. 87A), filled up with the necessary particulars and en-faced “Sent by telegraph,” must be sent from the Chief Office to the Postmaster, who will, on receipt of the form, acknowledge the remittance in the usual manner.

Official cash not to be used for private purposes.

100. The Postmaster must clearly understand that he is allowed to hold an official balance solely to enable him to meet the requirements of the public service, and he must on no account apply to his own private use, for however short a period, any portion of the official balance intrusted to him.

Failure to remit excess over authorised reserve or explain omission may lead to suspension.

101. If when the Postmaster is applied to with reference to an excessive balance he should fail to make the necessary remittance, or to forward a satisfactory explanation by return of post, it may be considered necessary to send an officer to take charge of his office, and the expenses incidental to this proceeding may be charged to the Postmaster.

How remittance-letters should be dealt with. Amount must be entered in cash-book.

102. Every remittance-letter should, upon its receipt, be immediately opened by the Postmaster himself, if possible, and the several items composing it carefully compared with the invoice or advice which must accompany each remittance. Should any discrepancy be discovered between a remittance and the invoice, or should there be any kind of irregularity with regard to the remittance, the Postmaster will, when practicable, have the remittance carefully checked and compared with the invoice by a second officer, who must write on the invoice the words “Checked by me,” and add his signature. The Postmaster must then at once communicate the facts to his Chief Office, by telegraph if possible. Neglect of these instructions will render the Postmaster liable for any loss that may arise in consequence of such neglect. When satisfied of the correctness of the remittance, the Postmaster must enter the amount under the proper heading in his cash-book on the day when the remittance was received, and then fill up, sign, and return an acknowledgment of the receipt on the form forwarded for the purpose. The remittance envelopes in which the remittances are received must be returned by the next post after their receipt.

Remittance-letters must be registered.

103. Every remittance-letter despatched by the Postmaster must be treated as a registered letter, and must be entered in the Registered-letter Book thus: “Official remittance.” The remittance of cash should, when possible, be effected by paying the money into the bank to the credit of the Chief Postmaster’s Deposit Account, and forwarding the bank receipt to the Chief Office. The remittance enclosed in the remittance-letter must be properly folded in it; and if coin be enclosed it should be so tightly and securely packed that it cannot become loose in the letter. The greatest care must