2962
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE,
[No. 86

24

Orders for embossing envelopes and impressing post-cards with postage-stamps should be addressed to the local Postmaster, who will forward them through the proper channel to the Secretary, General Post Office. They should be accompanied by a remittance of the amount due for the postage to be impressed or embossed, and for the cost of the work, according to the preceding table. The envelopes or post-cards are to be sent direct to the Government Printer, Wellington.

2. No person excepting a postal officer may, unless specially licensed by the Stamp Department, sell postage-stamps, post-cards, or postal - wrappers. The penalty for such illegal sale is ten pounds. Discount-stamps are not permitted to be used for postage, and are sold at money-order offices only.

3. Stamps issued for prepayment of correspondence, including telegrams, on the business of the General Government only, and known as official stamps, are prohibited under penalty from being sold or presented to any person by any Government officer or other person.

4. To prevent the purloining of postage-stamps by persons in large establishments, the stamps may be perforated with the initials of the firms, &c., so as to render the improper sale of such stamps a matter of difficulty. The perforation with initials of the stamps on post-cards and postal-wrappers is also allowed. Permission for any perforation must first be obtained from the Postmaster-General.

5. Stamps must be placed on the front or address side of the letter, and upon the right-hand upper corner of that side. Stamps placed on the back of a letter will not be recognised, and the letter becomes liable to surcharge as insufficiently prepaid. On redirected letters care should be taken not to place fresh stamps over the stamps which have been previously used.

6. Stamps which have been torn, cut, or otherwise rendered imperfect, except by perforation, cannot be used.

7. Postage-due stamps, discount-stamps, or stamps cut from stamped paper (meaning thereby bill or note forms, share-transfer forms, or any other form on which a stamp is impressed for payment of stamp duties under “The Stamp Act, 1882”) cannot be used for prepayment of postage or for payment of telegrams. Such stamps, when identified in the post-office, will not be postmarked. Stamps cut from letter-cards, post-cards, newspaper-wrappers, registered-letter envelopes, and embossed envelopes, may be used as adhesive stamps in payment of postage, but not for any purpose under “The Stamp Act, 1882.” Imperfect, mutilated, or defaced stamps will not be accepted for payment of postage. A “registration-fee” stamp cut out of a registered-letter envelope may be used on any registered packet, but not on an unregistered packet. Stamps of Aitutaki, Niue, Penrhyn, or Rarotonga may not be used outside those Islands respectively for prepayment of postage.

8. English, Victorian, New South Wales, and Western Australian postage-stamps may be obtained by persons desirous of sending a stamp or stamped envelope to their relatives or friends in the United Kingdom, Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia, in order to relieve them of the cost of the postage when sending replies. These stamps cannot be purchased in quantities of more than sixpence worth at one time, nor are they permitted to be used for the purpose of making remittances.

PREPAYMENT OF POSTAGE IN CASH.

Inland letters and inland circulars may, when posted in quantities of not less than 240 at one time, be prepaid in cash instead of stamps. A few hours’ notice of intention to post should be given the Post Office. Circulars addressed merely “The Householder” (see page 10), with or without place of delivery, may also be accepted under like conditions.

REPURCHASE OF STAMPS.

1. Postmasters in charge of money-order offices are permitted, though not compelled, to purchase from the public within New Zealand postage-stamps of New Zealand of not less value than 10s. (provided the stamps be not soiled or otherwise damaged), at a discount of 5 per centum.

2. Discount-stamps are purchased at money-order offices if mounted on the special card provided for the purpose and presented in quantities of the value of 1s. or its multiple. They are not permitted to be used for postage.

3. To prevent the temptation to steal stamps attached to letters, which might be afforded by facilities for selling them, single stamps cannot be purchased. The stamps must in all cases be presented in strips of not less than two.