Aug. 8.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2079

warded in the Wellington mail, registered. At Wellington a full record is to be kept of all such bags returned. This does not apply to bags from Australia, the United Kingdom, and Cape Town. These bags are used for return mails.

(b.) Any instances of the unauthorized use of New Zealand mail-bags by foreign administrations for the enclosure of their mails to New Zealand must be at once reported by verification note.

DELIVERY OF LETTERS, ETC.

422. (a.) For the regulation relating to the provision of letter-boxes by persons served by postman, see the Guide. A demand or suggestion that a box be provided is not to be sent to a public institution such as a hospital or a prison.

(b.) Gate-boxes for use within postmen’s deliveries will, if desired, be stencilled at a cost to the holders of 1s. each.

423. The extension of a postman’s delivery may be contingent on the residents concerned having boxes erected at the gates of their residences, irrespective of the distance of the residences from the road-line, and the proposal for the extension may be abandoned unless the erection of boxes is agreed to unanimously. Letter-form P.O. 83 is to be used for communicating with the residents in this matter.

424. The delivery from a post-office includes every place which receives its letters through that office. The town delivery comprises every house within the boundary of the postman’s delivery, subject to the provision of a letter-box on the street line in any case in which it is required. Before any postman’s delivery is established a responsible officer is to visit the district and fix the boundaries, and no alteration is to be allowed without authority from the Secretary.

425. The Postmaster must arrange the walks of the postmen so as, without unduly favouring any person or locality, to ensure a delivery to the more important portions of the town early, and a delivery in every portion of it with the least possible delay.

426. A brief general report on postmen’s deliveries is to be furnished to the Secretary at the end of each year. But in cases in which overtime is being incurred or in which extra assistance is asked for, a special inspection should be made and a report furnished.

427. Except at offices at which a postman’s sorter is employed, no letters must be passed to the postmen’s branch for delivery until they have been divided into the several walks; and Postmasters must bear in mind that, consistently with due despatch, this duty must be confined to the smallest number of officers.

428. Every delivery must commence at the appointed time or as near to it as possible, and, unless in exceptional cases, all the town postmen should leave the office at the same time.

429. It is the duty of the Postmaster to see that the postmen understand the regulations and rules relating to their duties, and obey them. It is also the duty of the Postmaster to report any breach by a postman of the regulations or rules.

430. (a.) A postman is required to arrange the letters, &c., for his delivery before he leaves the office, to make his delivery as quickly as possible, and, having done so, to come back to the office, if required, returning any articles which he may have been unable to deliver, and paying the postage charged against him. He is not required to give credit for postage, and, if he does, it must be at his own risk.

(b.) It should be ascertained, by occasional personal inspection, that the postmen do not loiter while engaged on their walks, or deviate from their prescribed route; that they do not clear a