2074
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 60

(2.) Letters are to be securely tied in bundles: prepaid, unpaid and insufficiently paid, and “forward” letters are to constitute separate bundles. As a general practice the number of letters in a bundle should not exceed 250. When the number in a bundle exceeds about 180 the letters should be placed in two rows so as to form a double bundle, and be securely tied in two directions with double string around both rows and crosswise around each separate row. Bundles containing from 70 to 180 letters should likewise be tied in two directions with double string. Convenient numbers of bundles of each class of letters should be formed into parcels, wrapped up in brown paper (except for the United Kingdom and Australia), strongly tied and cross-tied with string for their better protection, and labelled with a printed paper label indicating their class. For the United Kingdom and Australia wrapping in brown paper is omitted.

(3.) Post-cards must be tied separately, and not sorted among letters, but the bundles should be enclosed in letter-packets.

4.) Insufficiently paid book, pattern, and sample packets, and newspapers, should be tied into bundles and labelled “Unpaid.”

(5.) Correspondence on Post Office business should be tied in a separate bundle and labelled “Official, form no account.”

(6.) Letters and post-cards, book and pattern packets, and newspapers are to be carefully weighed, and the weights entered in the Foreign-mail Register. Post-cards should be weighed with letters, and the weight of books (including patterns, samples, printed papers, and commercial papers) bulked with newspapers and shown under one heading as “Other articles.”

(7.) The letter-bill is to be enclosed in the special envelope marked “Letter-bill,” and placed on top, inside the bag containing the registered-letter bag, letters, &c., and when the registered articles contained in a mail are enclosed in a packet the envelope containing the letter-bill should be tied to the packet of registered articles with string, across and across.

400. When a letter-bill for a foreign office is accidentally left behind it should be sent to the Secretary, pinned to a V.N. (Mail 44), with an explanation of the irregularity.

401. If it is found, after the despatch of a mail, that the weights or any of the other items have been entered incorrectly in the letter-bill, the despatching office must at once report the error to the Secretary by V.N.

402. All bags containing mail-matter for foreign offices must be sealed with lead seals, and labelled by means of a linen or other approved label. The label must bear the number and date of despatch of the mail. Bags with stencilled addresses may also be used. Bags stencilled “Newspapers” must not be used for letters. No bag of correspondence should weigh more than 66 lb.

403. When a mail consists of more than one bag, special care must be taken to indicate the class of correspondence contained in each bag, either by using bags stencilled “Letters,” “Newspapers,” &c., or by marking the labels.

404. (a.) With the object of avoiding as far as possible a multiplicity of partly filled bags in mails to the United Kingdom despatched by P. and O. steamers via Suez, any partly filled bag of letters should be placed in another outer bag with any partly filled bag of other articles for the same destination, and, in addition to the address label, a label affixed bearing the letters “S.C.” (sac