2096
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 60

weight on the cover, which he should obtain from the addressee,
and send to the Chief Postmaster with an application for refund
of the overcharge.

503. (a.) A Chief Postmaster may remit the charges on official
     letters authorized as exempt from postage which have been sur-
     charged in consequence of not having been properly marked,
     provided such letters are opened in the presence of the Postmaster
     and found to be entitled to free transit. He may also remit
     such charges on ordinary letters, if satisfied that the claim for
     refund is a proper one. The receipt for refund should be taken
     on the face of the surcharged cover. Postage which is thus
     authorized to be refunded is to be claimed in the Daily Cash
     Account, which should be accompanied by the cover, together
     with an explanatory memorandum. (See Rule 796 (b).)

(b.) Deficient postage on undelivered correspondence addressed
to the care of Consuls is to be refunded to Consuls on return of
the correspondence to the post-office.

STREET POSTING-BOXES.

504. Street posting-boxes are erected for the convenience of
     persons living at a distance from a post-office, and when a Post-
     master is of opinion that it is necessary to establish a new box or
     to remove an existing box to a more convenient locality he should
     report to the Chief Postmaster, who will report to the Secretary.

505. Each Chief Postmaster must keep in his office a list
     revised to date of the boxes in his district, with the times of
     clearance shown, and any additions, deletions, or alterations are
     to be reported to the Secretary.

506. The times of collection must be correctly stated on the
     boxes. On no account are boxes to be cleared before the ap-
     pointed time. The times of collection should be regulated by the
     town clock, if there be one.

507. (a.) All officers clearing boxes must invariably be supplied
     with a satchel, to be carried slung from the shoulder by a
     strap. The act of carrying correspondence in the hand or pocket
     is strictly forbidden, and the satchel must always be used for the
     purpose and must not be put off the shoulder. To all such
     satchels, large or small, a length of light chain is to be made fast.
     The chain should be in length about 3 ft., with a snap-hook at the
     end. Before going out for any clearance the messenger must slip
     the key or keys on to the snap-hook, and put it or them inside
     the satchel.

(b.) The officer clearing a box must invariably put his hand
inside the box as far as the posting-aperture to see that there is
no block of posted matter.

508. (a.) One of the two keys which are supplied for each box
     must be kept by the Postmaster, while the other should not be
     left in the hands of the collecting officer longer than is absolutely
     necessary, but should, where practicable, be hung up in the office
     in a place appointed for the purpose convenient for the super-
     vision of the Postmaster or of the officer in charge of the mail-room.

(b.) The alleged loss of a key should be strictly investigated,
and if the key be not found the police should be communicated
with and the lock changed. The Postmaster should at once re-
port the circumstance. When a lost key is found by any one not
connected with the Department a reward of 2s. 6d. to the finder must
always be paid by the person through whose carelessness it was
lost.

509. (a.) Chief Postmasters should periodically draw the atten-
     tion of Postmasters to the necessity of inspecting all posting-boxes
     and seeing that they are in good repair and well taken care of