Aug. 8.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2071

initial the entry on mail waybill. In the case of transfer of mails from one guard to another, the incoming guard must satisfy himself that mails and way-bills agree.

Guards will be held responsible for the safe custody of all mails delivered to them, and also for delivering the mails to the stations to which they are addressed. Attention should be drawn to any irregularity in connection with mails or damage to seals of bags.

Parcels-post mails will be carried by the Department in the same manner as other mails, no railway waybilling or accounting being necessary, and, whether presented in hampers, bags, or other packages, are to be similarly dealt with when handed in by the Postal officers.

Letters (other than departmental and bona fide consignees’ letters, so marked) which ought to pass through the post-office must not be carried in guards’ vans, except in the post-office box.

All posting-boxes in the guards’ vans on trains on which there are postal sorting-cars must be closed and locked before the trains are brought to the platform at the starting station.

379. Every letter posted after the closing of the mail, which it was apparently intended to catch and prior to the next changing of the date-stamp must be marked with the “Too late” stamp, or with the words “Too late” written in red ink on its face at the left-hand top corner. Otherwise the impression of the date-stamp will be regarded as evidence that the letter was posted in time.

380. On a Post Office holiday a mail is not to be sent to a sub-office at which the Postmaster will not be in attendance to receive it. Only one mail is to be exchanged with other offices, and then only if it can reach the sub or chief office on the holiday. If the frequency of a service is less than daily, the mails are to be sent the day before or the day after the holiday. Rural deliveries, if daily, may be suspended for the day. Chief Postmasters will exercise their discretion as to the despatch of mails to sub-offices on holidays.

381. Bags of mail-matter for the Clearing-room, G.P.O., must not exceed in weight 80 lb.

DESPATCH OF FOREIGN MAILS.

382. (a.) Correspondence posted in the Dominion and addressed to the United Kingdom will be forwarded by the routes selected from time to time.

(b.) Correspondence that is specially addressed for despatch by a certain route or by a particular steamer is to be forwarded by the route or steamer specified.

383. It is to be understood that the name “Australia” in official instructions includes Tasmania, except on occasions when directions may be given to exclude Tasmania. “Australian States” includes Tasmania.

384. (a.) Chief Postmasters are required to notify to one another by telegraph, as necessary, the closing of mails for places beyond the Dominion, and to obtain an acknowledgment of the receipt of the notification. Such notices are not, as a rule, to be issued more than ten days before the closing of the mails to which they refer. The code signals to be used are given in Rule T. 2.

(b.) Telegraphic advice is sent to Chief Postmasters of the arrival in London of mails from New Zealand. The information is to be given to the newspapers and to inquirers.

385. The Australian and Foreign Mail List is printed for the information of officers, and must be corrected from time to time in accordance with official announcements. Unless specially authorized by the Secretary, no mails may be made up for foreign offices except those specified in the list, and the instructions there given are to be read as part of these rules and regulations.

386. Unless other instructions are given, returns are to be prepared by post-offices at ports of arrival and departure of all mail-bags, excluding registered-letter and parcel bags, despatched to and despatched from Australia from the 1st to the 28th, inclusive, of May and November, of 1924, 1927, 1930, and so on every third