APRIL 3.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1181

in the fifth column and the space provided is insufficient to admit of duplicate labels being gummed in the column.

782. The officer accepting a parcel should compare the address on the card with that on the parcel to see that they are identical. Any discrepancy should be challenged, and the sender requested to make the necessary amendments. Under no circumstances should such amendment be made by the officer accepting the parcel.

783. Every parcel must on presentation be weighed and measured, and care should be taken before finally accepting a parcel to consult the lists of limitation as to weights, measurements, and contents given in the Guide, and to see that the correct postage is affixed to the parcel by the sender. Officers receiving parcels are responsible for any deficient postage. Special care must be exercised in weighing parcels addressed to foreign places. In no case must the slightest excess weight be passed over. The parcel is to be then forwarded to destination and the card filed at the office of posting and carefully preserved for reference. After being retained for a period of one year, P.P. S. cards are to be destroyed.

784. When any inland parcel is erroneously accepted in excess of the regulation weight or dimensions, such parcel should, whenever possible, be forwarded to its destination indorsed by a responsible officer thus:—

“Accepted in error. Weight [or Dimension] in excess of regulation maximum. Pass. Signed, .”

The irregular acceptance of such parcels should, of course, be reported in the usual way.

In the case of articles which cannot be divided and which fall very nearly within the regulation limit of size or weight, Postmasters or other responsible officers are permitted to accept, under special circumstances, and at their own discretion, inland parcels slightly in excess of the regulation size or weight, an additional single rate of postage being charged thereon.

785. A parcel containing any prohibited article, or bearing any writing or marks of an offensive or indecent character, must be refused. If detected in transit it must be detained and the circumstance reported, giving the address of the parcel and describing its contents.

786. Any parcel tendered in a damaged or insecure condition, or in a condition likely to injure other parcels or any officer of the post-office, should be refused, and a more secure method of packing suggested. If a parcel in such condition be observed in transit, it must be made secure and sent forward; if it cannot be so secured, it must be detained, and the sender or addressee advised on form P.P. G.

787. If the sender of an insecurely packed parcel should insist on its being forwarded, the foregoing rule may be relaxed, provided the acceptance of the parcel involves no risk or injury to any other parcel or to any officer. In all such cases the officer who accepts the parcel must write on the official label attached to the parcel the words “Insecurely packed; post-office accepts no risk.” The superscription “Post-office accepts no risk” should be also marked on fragile parcels, and in both cases the superscription should be initialled by the sender or the person presenting the parcel.

788. Officers accepting parcels should see that postage-stamps and numbered labels are attached to the address side of parcels, and every care taken that the covers or contents of parcels are not damaged in the process of date-stamping.

P