Postal Regulations




JUNE 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1847

27

  1. Postmasters are not bound to weigh letters, books, packets, or newspapers for the public, but they may do so if their duty be not thereby impeded. This regulation does not apply to parcels, which are tested both as to weight and size before being accepted.

  2. Postmasters are not bound to give change; and when money is paid at a post-office, whether as change or otherwise, no question as to its right amount, goodness, or weight can be entertained after it has been removed from the counter.

  3. No postal officer is permitted to take money in prepayment of postage (except in the case of inland circulars posted in quantities of not less than one thousand at one time), or to affix postage-stamps on letters, &c., posted at any post-office. Postage-stamps should in all cases be affixed by the sender or person posting the correspondence.

All Articles should bear Sender's Address.

  1. 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 at the end of the letters or embossed on the envelopes.

Use of Sealing-wax discouraged.

  1. The practice of sealing with wax (except such as is specially prepared) letters passing to and from countries with hot climates 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.

"Cut-out" Envelopes Forbidden.

  1. Covers known as "cut-out" envelopes—namely, covers having an aperture in the front to allow the address of the enclosure to be read—are prohibited transmission by post.

Money and Valuables should be Registered.

  1. 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.

Privilege of Postmaster-General.

  1. 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.

Addressing Correspondence.

  1. 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 the number of the house 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.

  2. An address should be complete. It should include, besides the name (as full as possible) of the addressee, the name of a street with the number in that street, the name of suburb, town (or city), postal district (in New Zealand), and country. Thus,—

Mr. W. L. Smith,

90, Matai Street,

(Suburb)

(Town, also Postal District)

Kaiarero,

Oamaru,

N.Z.



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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa PDF NZ Gazette 1907, No 52





✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🚂 Private Boxes and Bags Regulations (continued from previous page)

🚂 Transport & Communications
Postal regulations, Private mail-bags, Fees, Mail contractors, Non-liability

🚂 General Postal Rules and Guidelines

🚂 Transport & Communications
Postmaster duties, Weighing letters, Change policy, Prepayment restrictions, Sealing wax, Cut-out envelopes, Registered mail, Addressing correspondence
  • W. L. Smith (Mr.), Example addressee for postal guidelines