APRIL 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1081

Office, Government Insurance, Customs, Land and Income Tax and Valuation transactions, and to all other matters respecting all transactions on behalf of other branches of the public service. Information may, however, be given the Press regarding delays and breakdowns in the telegraph service due to atmospheric causes. No information may be given respecting letters or other postal matter, except to the addressees or to persons they nominate in writing. No officer may make public any official communication which he may receive, unless he shall be officially directed to do so. Members of Parliament have no privilege in these respects.

126. The address of a person cannot be given by the Department without the permission of the person inquired for. Counter officers are required to point this out to any person presenting a telegraphic message asking for such information.

127. Postmasters are forbidden to comply with requests for the revision of directory slips, for the prosecution of any business such as the sale of an article to be recommended by them in their official capacity, for lists of residents, &c., without the authority of the Secretary. Such requests must be referred to the Secretary.

128. No letter or packet whatever is to be returned to the writer or sender thereof except as provided by the Post and Telegraph Act. By this Act the power to open, detain, or delay a post-letter is vested in the Governor alone. An exception is made of official letters, which may be returned, or otherwise disposed of on warrant signed by the Postmaster-General.

129. All telegrams must be regarded as strictly confidential, and treated with the same care and secrecy as sealed letters. Any officer divulging the contents of a telegram, except to the sender or addressee thereof, or making improper use of any telegram passing through his hands, will render himself liable to dismissal, and to the penalties provided under section 146 of the Post and Telegraph Act, 1908. No officer shall communicate to any other officer the contents of any telegram coming to his knowledge, save and except for the transaction or furtherance of the business of the Department, and items of news or official information may on no account be made public.

130. Requests by telegram from the public to officers in their official capacity for information as to the results of athletic contests, horse-racing, and other such matters of public interest, must not be complied with. Should any telegram of the kind be handed to them for transmission they are to suitably inform the sender of the rule. Any officer so addressed, on being sent the telegram in spite of such warning, will hand it without further dealing with it to the Postmaster or the Officer in Charge for his action. Information which may come to the knowledge of officers by telegram, prior to results being published in the ordinary way, is not to be made known. This also applies to information received on railway wires. (See Rule T. 75.) Requests by telegram from one of the public for the name of the sender of a registered letter or of a money-order must not be complied with until the identity of the sender of the telegram is established.

131. Any officer who shall receive in any form a reward or gratuity for affording preferential advantages in the forwarding, delivering, or posting of letters, telegrams, &c., or any officer cognizant of such violation of rule who shall connive at or fail at once to report the same, shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10, and may, in addition, be liable to dismissal.

132. All officers, telegraph message-boys excepted, appointed to the permanent staff on and after the 1st January, 1908, must contribute to the Superannuation Fund. Responsible officers will