1146
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 29

(g.) Closed mails from His Majesty’s ships of war on the Australian Station are to be simply entered on letter-bills under Article II. The weights, even if stated on labels, must not be included with those of ordinary mails.

(h.) The Postal Administration of the United States of America has issued the following notification regarding the exchange of mails between U.S.A. offices and U.S.A. war-ships on foreign stations:—

That the Administration of the United States of America will not advise intermediary offices of each despatch of mails to the vessels in question.

(i.) Mails to or from ships of war of any nationality in transit through New Zealand are to receive prompt despatch unless positive orders are issued to the contrary.

DELIVERY OF LETTERS, ETC.

545. The letter, P.O. 327, suggesting that a letter-box be provided for the reception of correspondence delivered by letter-carrier, is not to be sent to public institutions such as hospitals and prisons.

546. The delivery from a post-office includes every place which receives its letters through that office. The town delivery comprises every house within the boundary of the letter-carrier’s delivery. Before any subsidized letter-carrier’s delivery is established, a responsible officer is to visit the place and fix the boundary, and no extension is to be allowed without authority from the Secretary.

547. Letters, &c., for counter delivery, after being date-stamped, are to be carefully sorted into the proper pigeon-holes, which should be examined daily to see that they contain no letters for delivery by letter-carrier, or such as should have been redirected. Redirection cards should be compared daily with the letters on hand, and registered cards with registered letters in the locker.

548. Persons applying for correspondence are required to state from what place it is expected, and to give such other particulars as will establish their identity.

549. Special provision is to be made for letters addressed to Maoris, either by keeping them in a certain pigeon-hole or by delivery on application at the public counter. Unknown Natives applying for correspondence are to be required to give evidence of their identity.

550. When an English mail arrives too late to enable a delivery to be made before 5 p.m. chief offices not open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. should reopen from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. If the mail arrives too late to enable the delivery to be completed by 8 p.m., no special reopening is to be made under ordinary circumstances. If, however, the English mail arrives the day before the outgoing mail is to be despatched, or on a Saturday, or on the day before a holiday, delivery is to be made as late as 10 p.m. The reopening should be understood to cover a delivery of letter-carriers’ correspondence as well as of that addressed to the post-office.

551. All letters must be delivered as addressed, except in the case of addressees who have changed their residences.

552. The address of a letter, once it is posted, must not be altered at the request of the sender or of any one else. Immediately on being posted a letter ceases to belong to the sender. Any officer found disregarding this instruction, no matter under what pressure or solicitation, will be very severely dealt with. The addressee alone has a right to letters, &c., or the right to say how they shall be disposed of, and all his orders for delivery to any person other than himself must be in writing.