APRIL 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1171

letter “R,” name of office, and the serial number, for use at chief and permanent offices only; and the other showing letter “R” and a serial number, but not the name of the office, for use at railway, non-permanent, and country offices. The labels are issued in sheets, showing serial numbers, and special care is to be taken that the numbers are used in proper serial order, and that each label is duly accounted for. When a railway office, a non-permanent office, or a country office receives a sheet or sheets of labels, all types except the name of the office are to be removed from the date-stamp, and then an impression of the date-stamp is to be made on each label. As it is imperative that impressions be legible, special care is to be taken that the date-stamp is clean, and that the stamping-pad is in good order. It should always be remembered that (1) registration labels are to be used in proper serial order; (2) each series is to be used up before a fresh series is started; and (3) a fresh series is not to be started at the beginning of the year unless the preceding series happens to be exhausted at that time.

706. The label should be affixed on the address side of the registered packet at the top left-hand corner. If the label cannot be affixed in the prescribed position without obscuring the address, it should be affixed elsewhere on the address side of the packet if there is space. If there is no space on the address side, the label should be affixed on the back of the packet. In some cases in which the address of the packet is written on a tie-on label it may be necessary to affix the label on the tie-on label, but it should be affixed on the packet itself whenever possible. In any case where the label cannot be affixed in the proper position, the attention of the sender of the packet should be called to the necessity of leaving sufficient space for the label at the top left-hand corner of the address side of any packet intended for registration.

707. At a large office where two or more registration-books are in use at the same time, the sets of labels should be divided, and a portion allotted to each book according to the requirements.

708. When several registered articles are handed in at one time accompanied by a list or by duplicate lists the label-numbers must be entered opposite the respective entries on the list or lists. On the butt of receipt and on the receipt it will suffice to enter the first and last numbers with the word “to” between them, and in the body of the forms the total number of the articles.

709. Registered letters are not liable to be surcharged on account of deficient postage, the officers who receive them from the senders being responsible for seeing that the proper amount of postage and the fees are prepaid. With the exception, therefore, of letters containing coin, &c., posted unregistered, and letters marked “Registered” but not handed in for registration, and redirected registered letters mentioned in Rule 604, all registered letters must be delivered free. If any registered article is observed in transit to be short-paid, the necessary additional postage is to be affixed and the Chief Postmaster informed in order that he may collect the deficiency from the despatching Postmaster or officer at fault.

710. In the case of a registered packet received from another office without a label, or with a label not showing the office of posting, the particulars wanting should be supplied in writing if they can be ascertained from any bill or list accompanying the packet. In any case of doubt one of the labels of the receiving office should be affixed to the packet, and the packet should subsequently be advised by the particulars given on this label. Full particulars of the packet should also be entered on the record of