SEPT. 10. THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 3499

UNCLAIMED LETTERS.

1. All letters (excepting special-request letters) unclaimed at the end of the periods specified below shall be forwarded to the Dead Letter Office. Letters from beyond New Zealand shall be returned unopened to the countries where they originated, and letters originating in New Zealand shall be opened and returned to the writers.

Letters.

At all chief post-offices unclaimed inland letters other than those addressed to the post-office or to a street where the addressee is unknown or which the addressee has left without leaving an address shall be returned to the senders immediately it has been ascertained that they cannot be delivered. At those offices inland letters addressed to the post-office shall be retained for one month, and those addressed to a street where the addressee is unknown or which he has left without leaving an address, for one week after reaching the delivery-counter.

Unclaimed letters shall not be advertised, but at the end of the specified periods shall be forwarded (excepting special-request letters) to the Dead Letter Office, Wellington, there to be opened and returned to the writers.

SPECIAL-REQUEST CORRESPONDENCE.

1. Undelivered inland letters and other articles, ordinary and registered (except parcels and the letters mentioned in clause 4 hereof), bearing the full name and address of the sender printed or written on the outside shall be returned direct and unopened by the Chief Postmasters. Such articles having a request on the address side of the covers of the following purport: “If not delivered return to ,” shall be disposed of in the same way. A special request that letters and other articles posted in New Zealand, if not delivered within a stated period, be redirected to an address outside New Zealand, shall not be complied with. Such correspondence shall be sent to the Dead Letter Office in the usual way. Undelivered inland printed matter prepaid ½d. which bears a special request for its return to the sender, or which is of intrinsic value, shall be returned and charged ½d. postage, but if it bears no such request and is of no intrinsic value it shall be destroyed. For the purposes of this regulation New Zealand includes the Cook Islands—namely, Rarotonga, Mangaia, Atiu, Aitutaki, Mitiaro, Mauke (Parry), and Hervey (Manuae); and also Palmerston (Avarua), Niue (Savage), Pukapuka (Danger), Rakaanga, Manahiki, Penrhyn (Tongareva), and Suwarrow Islands.

2. Letters and other articles originating outside New Zealand which bear a special request for return to the sender if not delivered within a stated period, shall be sent by Chief Postmasters at the end of such period to the Dead Letter Office, Wellington, for immediate return to the country of origin. Printed matter posted outside the Dominion, which bears thereon a special request for return to an address in New Zealand, if not delivered, or in respect of which the sender makes such an application, shall be so returned, but if prepaid ½d. only it shall be charged ½d. postage.

3. Letters and other articles of this class originating at hotels, clubs, or places of public resort shall not be returned unopened by Chief Postmasters unless, in addition to the printed or embossed address on the cover, the name of the actual sender also appears.

4. The above instructions shall not apply to letters containing coin, which shall be compulsorily registered and sent to the Dead Letter Office, after having been retained at the disposal of the addressees for the prescribed periods.

5. Special-request articles are recommended to be marked as follows, near the left-hand upper corner: “If not claimed in days return to [Name and address].” Unless the name of the sender as well as the address is given, the request for return shall not be acceded to, except in the case of letters bearing a request for return to a specified private letter-box, when the number of the box shall be regarded as sufficient.

WRAPPERS, EMBOSSED ENVELOPES, ETC.

Postal wrappers shall be sold at 1s. for twenty-two or 6d. for eleven, and registered-letter envelopes (small and medium) at 3½d. each and in packets of nine at 2s. 6d.

Embossed envelopes shall be sold at the following prices:—
½d. business envelopes (3⅛" x 5⅜"), ¾d. for 1, 1¼d. for 2, 2d. for 3, 2½d. for 4, 3¼d. for 5, 4d. for 6, 4½d. for 7, 5d. for 8, 5½d. for 9, 6d. for 10.

1d. business envelopes (3⅛" x 6") 1¼d. for 1, 2¼d. for 2, 3¼d. for 3, 4¼d. for 4, 6d. for 5, 7d. for 6, 8d. for 7, 9d. for 8, 10d. for 9, 11d. for 10, 1s. for 11.

1d. social envelopes (3¼" x 4¾") 1¼d. for 1, 2¼d. for 2, 3½d. for 3, 4½d. for 4, 6d. for 5, 7d. for 6, 8d. for 7, 9d. for 8, 10d. for 9, 11d. for 10, 1s. for 11.

PRIVATE BOXES.

The following shall be the fees payable for rental of a private box:—
At places where there is a letter-carrier’s delivery: At the rate of one pound (£1) per annum.
To persons residing beyond the limits of the letter-carrier’s delivery, half the above rate.
At other places: At the rate of ten shillings (10s.) per annum.

Private letter-boxes of an extra large size are provided at Auckland and Wellington. The rate for these boxes shall be double the ordinary rate.

Private boxes shall be let as under:—
(1.) For a year ending 31st December.
(2.) For a half-year ending 30th June or 31st December.
(3.) For a period less than six months, to any person wishing to hold a box for a short period only, upon payment of at least three months’ rental.

In cases (1) and (2), if a period not exceeding three months is to elapse before the year or the half-year begins, the rental therefor shall be added to the rental due for the succeeding year or half-year, and the total collected; if the period is greater than three months, the rental may be accepted to the end of the current half-year.

In case (3), if the period from date of letting to the end of a quarter ending 31st March, 30th June, 30th September, or 31st December is less than one month, and the applicant wishes to hold the box for a longer period, the rental for the succeeding quarter shall be added to that for the unexpired portion of the quarter.

PRIVATE MAIL-BAGS.

The fees payable for the use of a private mail-bag shall be the following:—
(a.) For the first holder of a private mail-bag carried by a mail contractor for a year ended 31st December, £2; for a second bag, if the quantity of correspondence requires it, £1.
(b.) For the first holder of a private mail-bag carried by a mail contractor for half-year ended 30th June or 31st December, £1; for a second bag, if the quantity of correspondence requires it, 10s.
(c.) For the first holder of a private mail-bag, if delivery is taken at the post-office where it is made up, the prescribed fee for a private letter-box at that office.
(d.) For each additional person sharing the use of a private mail-bag with another, one-quarter of the above-mentioned fee.

If a period not exceeding three months is to elapse before the year or half-year begins, the rental therefor shall be added to the rental due for the succeeding year or half-year, and the total collected; if the period is greater than three months, the rental may be accepted to the end of the current half-year.

CALL-BOXES.

A call-box shall be at the disposal of the holder during the hours only that the office is open for the transaction of postal business.

J. F. ANDREWS,
Clerk of the Executive Council.