Aug. 8.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2053

302. Requests from “consultation” promoters or other persons for the distribution of circulars, &c., must not be complied with. All such articles posted should be sent to the Dead Letter Office.

303. Any money, jewellery, undefaced postage-stamp, or other article of value found loose in a post-office or in a mail-bag must be sent in a registered letter to the Chief Postmaster, for forwarding to the Dead Letter Office, with a report stating precisely where and how it was found. (See Rule 93.)

304. Any irregularity in the despatch or arrival of a mail must be immediately reported, through the usual channel, to the Secretary.

305. (a.) When a Postmaster becomes aware that any irregularity has occurred with respect to a mail in transit which will cause its non-arrival at its destination in proper course, he should at once telegraph to the Postmaster of the place to which it is addressed, and also to the despatching Postmaster, informing them of the circumstances. He must also report the case to the Chief Postmaster, stating the cause of the irregularity, and how the mail will be disposed of.

(b.) Postmasters must, unless specially instructed on the subject, use their own discretion as to forwarding by special means, or by the next available opportunity, mails which have been delayed, so as to prevent, as far as possible, public inconvenience from detention of the letters.

306. A Postmaster, on receiving notice of a mail being lost or stolen, must immediately report the circumstances to the Chief Postmaster, by telegraph if possible, and to the Police authorities of the district. The despatching Postmaster must, when practicable, furnish the corresponding office and the Chief Postmaster with copies of the letter-bill, and a list of the registered letters and money-order advices (if any), and other information as to the contents and description of the missing mail. The Chief Postmaster must report all the circumstances of the case to the Secretary by telegraph, and he must similarly report in the case of an important portion of a mail being missing, such as a postal remittance letter.

307. (a.) A Postmaster is required to see that all bags used at his office are kept in proper repair, and that the stencil-marks are always clear and legible. Black oil-ink alone is to be used in stencilling.

(b.) When a bag is stencilled for use between two offices it must be marked with the names of the two offices on both inside and outside in letters not less than 2 in. in length, thus:—

Wellington Auckland
to to
Auckland. Wellington.

The office of destination is to be marked across the bag not more than 1 ft. from the bottom.

(c.) Plain mail-bags, including green registered-letter bags, whether for use within or beyond the Dominion, must always be clearly marked near the mouth, both inside and outside, with the words “Return to [Name of office], New Zealand.” This instruction must be strictly complied with. The use of plain mail-bags without such inscription will be severely noticed. All offices receiving plain bags must return them immediately to the offices to which they belong, if they are not at once required for a return mail.

(d.) Chief Postmasters should give their personal attention to seeing that the system of marking bags is properly understood and carried out.