An outbreak of fire, however quickly suppressed, in any
post, telegraph, or telephone office must be at once reported by
telegram to the Secretary. At offices at which fire-extinguishers
are placed, copies of instructions as to the use of the machines must
be posted in conspicuous places, and every member of the staff
required to make himself acquainted with the instructions.

Payment for the cleaning of chimneys of post-office quarters is to be made by Postmasters, and not by the Department.
Postmasters must see that chimneys in offices or quarters are not
allowed to become foul before being swept.

The insurance against fire of premises occupied by the
Department is, when ordered, to be effected in the State Fire
Insurance Office. A request for instructions should be made to
the Inspector of Post-offices in respect of any leased or rented
building.

The Department provides the buildings and fittings for
all offices at which post-office and telegraph or telephone business
is conducted by permanent officers, but at all other sub-offices
the necessary accommodation must, unless otherwise agreed upon,
be provided by the person in charge, to the satisfaction of the
Minister. At every office the words "'Post Office,'" "'Telegraph
Office,'" "'Telephone Office,'" or "'Post and Telegraph
Office'" must be exhibited in large and conspicuous characters
on the outside of the building. The hours during which the office
is open must be announced prominently on the outside of the
building. Notice-plates for the purpose are obtainable from the
Controller of Stores.

Chief Postmasters will keep a record on a real-estate card
of the date on which the lease of any building or site to the Department in their districts terminates, so that they may advise
the Secretary in good time—say, three months beforehand—and
take any action for renewal, &c., necessary on such a contingency.
Telegraph Engineers or other officers who are charged with the
business of arranging for the lease to the Department of premises
or sites, after completing the same, will furnish Chief Postmasters
with the particulars necessary for recording the lease before
despaching the documents to the Secretary.

When the Department is lessor, the Secretary will arrange for the deed to be prepared by the Crown Law Office.
When the Department is lessee, the lessor is to be requested to
have a deed of the lease prepared and submitted for the Department's approval. This practice is to be followed in all cases, no
condition as to the party responsible for the preparation of the
deed being included in any negotiations. The lessor has the
right of having the deed of lease prepared by his solicitor at the
cost of the lessee.

When a departmental reserve is to be let, the matter is
to be reported to the Secretary, in order that arrangements may
be made to invite offers by public tender. In no case is a lease
or a renewal thereof to be granted privately.

Every post-office must be furnished with a letter-box fixed
within the building or room appropriated to the office, and having
on the outside at least one horizontal aperture, which must be easy
of access to the public at all hours. The chute from the aperture
into the box must slope upwards about 2 inches. The dimensions
of the box should be not less than the following : Height, 30 inches;
width, 12 inches; depth from front to back, 15 inches. The
posting-aperture should be 8 inches long and 2 inches wide, and
at a height of 42 inches from the footpath or roadway. The box
must be shut by a door forming the entire back or side, and must