Dec. 17.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2597

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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.

2. Under section 22 of “The Post Office Act, 1900,”—

(1.) Every postal packet addressed to any person at any premises licensed under “The Licensing Act, 1881,” or at any shipping office, or public or private lodginghouse, and delivered to or received by the licensee of such premises, or the person apparently in charge of such office or lodginghouse, or any one acting as the agent or servant of any such licensee or person, shall be deemed to be under the control of the Postmaster-General until delivered to the person to whom the same is addressed.

(2.) If the same is not so delivered within two months after the receipt thereof by or on behalf of such licensee or other person as aforesaid, and if instructions to the contrary are not received from the person to whom the same is addressed, the licensee or other person as aforesaid shall return the same to the nearest post-office, with the reasons therefor.

(3.) Every such postal packet shall be transmitted to the Dead Letter Office, and shall be there dealt with as undelivered.

(4.) If any such licensee or other person as aforesaid omits or fails to return any such postal packet as aforesaid he is liable to a penalty not exceeding five pounds.

(5.) The foregoing provision of this section shall extend and apply to telegrams transmitted by electric telegraph.

SPECIAL-REQUEST CORRESPONDENCE.

1. Letters and other articles 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 articles which have, in addition, a request on the address side of the cover that the articles be returned if not claimed within a stated period, are also returned unopened by Chief Postmasters at the end of such period. No such articles, however, will be returned unless they have remained in the post-office to which addressed at least ten days. This section includes in the colony the possessions of the Cook Islands; also Palmerston (Avarua), Niue (Savage), Pukapuka (Danger), Rakaanga, Manahiki, Penrhyn (Tongareva), and Suwarrow Islands.

2. Letters and other articles originating outside the colony which bear a special request for return to the sender within a stated period are sent by Chief Postmasters at the end of such period to the Dead Letter Office, Wellington, for immediate return to the country of origin.

3. Letters and other articles 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.

4. The above instructions do not apply to the following classes of correspondence, which, however, are sent at once to the Dead Letter Office after having been retained in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2: Registered and surcharged articles, and letters containing coin.

5. Special-request articles are recommended to be marked as follows, near the left-hand upper corner: “If not claimed in ten days return to [name and address].” Unless the name of the sender as well as the address is given, the request for return will not be acceded to.

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 appearing in the Supplement to the Guide) on week-days only. A list of money-order offices and savings-banks is printed elsewhere, and hours of business on week-days only are given under the heading “Money Orders” in a separate list.

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

3. Post Office and Telegraph Holidays.—The statutory post-office and telegraph holidays are New Year’s Day, Easter Monday, the Prince of Wales’ Birthday, the King’s Birthday, and Boxing Day. When one of these days falls on a Sunday, the next day is observed as a holiday in lieu thereof. Partial holidays only are observed on Easter Monday and Boxing Day. Good Friday and Christmas Day are observed as Sundays.

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.