Dec. 19.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 3211

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Accidents to Lines.

27. When communication is partially or completely interrupted, telegrams will be accepted from the public, but the department will not accept any responsibility for delay in transmission. The telegrams will be transmitted to the furthest practicable point, and, after communication is restored, sent thence to destination, according to code, in the order of time of presentation. Such delayed telegrams are marked “Delayed by Interruption of Lines.”

Cancelling Telegrams.

28. Any telegram may be cancelled by the sender before transmission, and the cost of such cancelled telegram will be refunded on application being made, in writing, to the Officer in Charge of the office at which such telegram was presented. If the telegram has been signalled, or partly signalled, it can still be cancelled, but no refund of its value can be made. If the signalling has been completed, the telegram can only be cancelled by means of a further prepaid telegram. Provided that no telegram shall be cancelled if the office of presentation is a racecourse telegraph-office.

Monopoly of Line forbidden.

29. The transmission of telegrams presented in quantity, or of telegrams of great length, may be delayed when their transmission would give an undue monopoly of the line to the sender or addressee.

Prohibitions.

30. Telegrams which are indecently or obscenely worded, or which appear to contain matter of a treasonable, seditious, libellous, or grossly offensive character, will not be transmitted. Telegrams in plain language relating to betting or to investments on the totalisator or in coded language reasonably supposed to relate to betting or to investments on the totalisator are forbidden to be delivered on any racecourse. Money-order telegrams addressed to a racecourse must be refused.

Urgent Telegrams.

31. Telegrams marked Urgent are received at any telegraph-office and transmitted in the order of their priority with other messages of the like code. Urgent telegrams take precedence of all ordinary messages.

32. The fee for an urgent telegram is double that for an ordinary telegram. Urgent telegrams lodged on Sunday at offices open from 5 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. only are charged four rates.

33. When the sender of an urgent telegram desires to pay for an urgent reply the words “Urgent, reply paid urgent” must be inserted in the instructions. When the reply required is not to be urgent the instruction should be “Urgent, reply paid.”

Charges, after ordinary Hours, for Messages relating to Sickness, Death, or other urgent Matters.

34. Messages relating to sickness or death or other urgent matters (but expressly excluding wagers or bets) may be accepted and transmitted from any to any telegraph-office or bureau at any time outside the ordinary hours of business on week-days or Sundays (provided the attention of the terminal office can be obtained), on prepayment of the following rates and fees :—

Outside ordinary hours. — Reopening fee, 1s.; special delivery fee, 1s.; tariff, ordinary.

On Sundays and holidays, outside hours prescribed for telegraph business.—Reopening fee, 1s.; special delivery fee, 1s.; tariff, Sunday or holiday, as case may be.

When in attendance for Press, testing, or departmental business, other than telegraphic.—Reopening fee, nil; special delivery fee, 1s.; tariff, ordinary.