Oct. 1.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2943

5

4. “Tinselled” cards, being cards ornamented with tinsel, mica, powdered glass, or similar substances, are prohibited transmission through the post unless enclosed in open covers. If not so enclosed they will be sent to the Dead Letter Office for disposal. Tinselled cards enclosed in covers are liable to the letter rate of postage if they bear written communications, otherwise they may be sent as printed matter within New Zealand and to the United Kingdom. The delivery to all other places of such cards at the printed-matter rate cannot be guaranteed.

5. Post-cards must be made of card or paper sufficiently stout not to hinder manipulation.

6. Postage-stamps must, as much as possible, be affixed to the top right angle of the front. The address, also service marks (registered, receipt, &c.), must also appear on the front, of which the right half at least is reserved for this purpose. The sender disposes of the back and of the left part of the front under reserve of the terms of the following paragraph.

7. With the exception of postage-stamps, the public is forbidden to join or attach to post-cards any objects whatever. Nevertheless, the name and address of the addressee and those of the sender may figure on gummed labels not exceeding 2 in. × ¾ in. It is also permissible to affix on the back and on the left part of the front vignettes or photographs on very thin paper, on condition that they adhere completely to the card.

8. Post-cards or correspondence contained in covers which are made of transparent paper or which have a panel of transparent paper showing the address on the enclosure, may be allowed to pass at letter-rates of postage. As a rule the postage-stamp must be affixed to the cover itself, but when a post-card is enclosed in a cover the stamp may be affixed to the card if a portion of the cover at the top right-hand corner is cut out to allow the stamp to be plainly seen and obliterated without withdrawing the card. The Department does not hold itself responsible for delay to such packages, or undertake to superscribe such packages with an explanation of any delay.

9. Cards, pictorial or plain, without alteration or amendment, may be sent as printed matter if not bearing any communication of the nature of a letter. The addition in manuscript to Christmas and New Year cards of expressions of good wishes, compliments, &c., limited to five words, will not debar them from transmission at the printed-paper rate.

10. Post-cards not fulfilling, with regard to prescribed indications, dimensions, external form, &c., the conditions imposed herein for this class of correspondence are treated as letters.

Reply-cards.

11. Reply post-cards must bear in French, as a title on the front of the first part, “Post-card with reply paid” (Carte postale avec réponse payée); on the second part “Reply Post-card” (Carte postale réponse). The two parts must, moreover, each fulfil the other conditions of the single post-card; they are folded one on the other, and not closed in any manner.

12. It is permissible for the sender of a reply post-card to indicate his name and address on the front of the “reply” part, either by writing or by a gummed label.

13. The stamping of the “reply” part by stamps of the country which has issued the card is only valid if the two parts of the reply post-card arrive adherent from the country of origin, and if the “reply” part is sent from the country in which it has arrived by post to the destination of the said country of origin. If these conditions are not fulfilled it is treated as an unstamped post-card.

14. If the conditions applying to single post-cards are infringed, reply-cards are treated as letters.

Irregular or Unpaid.

15. Any post-card exhibiting anything of an obscene, libellous, or obviously objectionable character will be detained and sent to the Dead Letter Office. Persons posting obscene, libellous, or grossly offensive cards are liable to punishment by law.

16. Post-cards infringing any of the above rules, except the last, are treated as letters.

17. Post-cards posted insufficiently prepaid or unpaid (such as private cards or post-cards not issued by New Zealand, or cards which have already been used for transmission) will be charged double deficiency at post-card rates. (See “Tree-leaves,” section 40, page 31.)