2068
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 60

At offices which make up a number of mails, the letters should first
be sorted into divisions or “roads,” and those in each division
should then be sorted for the respective offices to which they are
to be despatched. The object should be to sort accurately, and
to despatch the mails with quickness and regularity, and yet so
to apportion the work that it may be possible to trace every error
to the officer by whom it was committed.

(c.) Letters when sorted must be securely tied in conveniently
sized bundles. Not more than two strands of string are required;
and only the last strand is to be knotted. The clove hitch must
not be used. All articles prepaid as letters, even those of extra-
ordinary size, must be placed with the letter portion of the mail.
Registered articles, charged letters, and post-cards must be sepa-
rated from the ordinary letters and tied together, and the letter-bill
placed outside of the bundle, which must be tied over the ends as
well as round the middle. The bundle of registered letters, charged
letters, and post-cards, together with the letter-bill, must then be
tied to a bundle of ordinary letters. Forward letters should be
tied separately, and charged books and newspapers should form a
separate bundle. In the case of mails exchanged between any two
of the four chief centres, commercial papers should be enclosed in
specially marked bags or in the letter-bags. In the case of mails
exchanged between any one of the four chief centres and any one of
the other chief post-offices, commercial papers should be enclosed
as far as possible in the letter-bags. When there are many books
and circulars of a uniform size they should be sorted like letters and
tied together. Letters and newspapers are not to be tied in the
same bundle; and letters must be arranged by size and evened at
the “stamp” end before they are tied up. Photographs and Christ-
mas and other cards must be so packed as to avoid injury in the
process of tying. In inland mails Press manuscript is to be placed
with the letter portion of the mails as far as possible.

(d.) A facing-slip (Mail 5) is to be attached to the outside of
every bundle of letters, and initialled by the officer who ties the
bundle. If any missent letters are found in the bundle at the
office of receipt, the addresses should be entered on the back of
the slip, which must be sent by first mail under cover to the Chief
Postmaster of the district of origin. Letters must not be added
at intermediate offices to bundles already covered by facing-slips.

(e.) A bagging-card must always be enclosed in each bag of
weekly newspapers, and the officer who bags up the newspapers
must place on the card his initials. Should any articles be missent
in the bag, the bagging-card must be attached to the report.

(f.) Great care should be taken that a bundle of letters is
not put into the wrong bag, and, to avoid so serious a mistake,
the despatching officer should, before placing the letters in the
bag, carefully examine the outside letter in each bundle, and
also check the address on the bag or label.

369. (a.) At each chief post-office a separate bag for Wellington
     is to be made up to contain, during the parliamentary session,
     letters and other articles for Ministers of the Crown and all other
     members of the General Assembly, and, during the parliamentary
     recess, letters and other articles for Ministers of the Crown only.
     During the session the bag is to be labelled “Letters, General
     Assembly,” and during the recess, “Letters, Ministers.” At
     each sub-office at which closed mails are made up for Wellington,
     letters, &c., all the year round for Ministers of the Crown,
     and during the parliamentary session for other members of the
     General Assembly also, are to be tied up separately and labelled,
     so that they can be obtained as soon as the bags are opened.