APRIL 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1175

735. Notice of a registered letter for the holder of a private box must be given by placing a notice card, duly filled up, in such private box, and if the letter is not called for in four hours after the ordinary correspondence has been removed from the box another card should be placed in the box, or the registered letter may be specially delivered if there be any doubt as to a card having been placed in the box at the proper time. Postmasters should, however, use their own discretion in such contingencies, the object being to prevent delay in delivery. Care must be taken that the notice cards are placed in the private box before the notice “All sorted” is exhibited.

736. The officer who takes a receipt for and delivers a registered article must initial the receipt in the space provided. Postmasters will be held responsible for seeing that this duty is properly and regularly performed.

737. Registered letters for private-bag holders must be enclosed, with receipts attached, in the first bag despatched, and advised on private-bag letter-bill, P.O. 154. The deposit of such letters in the bag must, in all cases, be witnessed by a second officer, and the fact attested by the signatures of the despatching and witnessing officers being written against the entry in the Registered-letter Book.

738. When the sender of a registered letter has prepaid the special charge for an acknowledgment of delivery, a form, P.O. 17, must be prepared at the office of origin and attached to the back of the letter by string tied crosswise. The fee of 2½d. should be affixed in stamps to the letter, apart from the other stamps. At the side of or immediately below the stamps should be written in specially prominent letters “A.R.,” or the words “Acknowledgment of delivery.” The entry of the registered article on the letter-bill or registered list must in all cases be followed by the inscription “A.R.” in prominent letters. On form P.O. 62 this inscription must be made in the column headed “Observations.” A Government Department should be charged the usual fee of 2½d. for information supplied in connection with acknowledgment of delivery of a registered article.

739. The payment of the acknowledgment-of-delivery fee is to be acknowledged by writing across the usual receipt furnished to the sender the words “Acknowledgment paid.” The words should also appear on the duplicate receipt or butt, as the case may be. Care should be taken to note the name and address of the sender, to facilitate the delivery of the acknowledgment on its return. The designation of the office of posting and the serial number given on the registration label must be entered at the head of the form of acknowledgment after the words “of a registered article.”

740. The impression of the date-stamp on registered articles prepaid for acknowledgments should be specially legible, in order that the receiving office may ascertain as well the date of delivery as the name of the office of origin to which it has to forward an acknowledgment of delivery. The name and the date must be given in handwriting if the impression of the date-stamp is not absolutely clear. Any remissness in this matter will be regarded as serious. If it is not possible, notwithstanding the precautions which may have been taken at the office of despatch, to distinguish on the envelope the name of the office of origin, the information should be obtained from the addressee on delivery of the article. If this information should be refused, it will devolve on the office of posting to trace the sender.

741. On receipt of registered articles they should be carefully examined, to see whether they bear the inscription “Acknow-