386
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
110.-Requests for the redirection or interception of correspondence must be in writing. The precise address of the correspondence must be given.
111.-No request for redirection will be acted upon for more than three months, at the end of which time the correspondence resumes its usual course,
POSTE RESTANTE.
112.-All letters and other Postal packets superscribed "To be kept till called for,' "To await arrival," or in any similar way, and also those addressed "Post Office," or "Hongkong" without any other address are held to fall under the head "Poste Restante.”
113.-The Poste Restante being intended solely for the accommodation of strangers. and travellers who have no permanent abode in the town, letters or other postal packets for residents must not be addressed to the Post Office to be called for, nor will such letters or postal packets be kept in the Poste Restante longer than the following periods, viz.:-
Letters for steamers are kept for 3 months
sailing vessels
19
**
4
Local letters are kept for 1 month International
2 months 114.-When correspondence is received addressed" to parties in "Hongkong" with- out a full address and no request has been received from the addressee regarding it or his name does not appear in the Directory, such correspondence will be placed in
Poste Restante.
115.-Letters or other postal packets addressed to initials or to fictitious names or to a christian name without a surname are not taken in at the Poste Restante but are at once sent to the Returned Letter Branch for disposal.
116. All persons applying for Poste Restante letters or other postal packets must furnish the necessary and required particulars to prevent mistakes and to ensure the delivery of the same to the persons to whom they properly belong and sign the register. If the addressee does not apply for same in person the messenger must be furnished with the required information and must have a written authority to receive them. If the applicant be a foreigner he must produce his passport or other evidence of identity.
DISPOSAL OF Undelivered CorrespoNDENCE.
117. Every letter or other postal article should bear the full name and address of the sender in order to ensure its return in case of non-delivery.
118.-An undelivered local or foreign letter or post card bearing the full name and address of the sender printed or written upon the outside is returned direct to the sender. Other undelivered local letters and post cards are sent to the Returned Letter Branch where, after having been advertised, they will at the expiration of ten days be opened and returned, if possible, to the senders; if they contain neither sender's name or address nor any enclosure of importance they will be destroyed. Letters found to contain value are recorded and if returned are registered. Letters from abroad are returned unopened to the country of origin after having been advertised.
119.-Book packets and newspapers which cannot be delivered and which bear the name and address of the sender with a request for their return in case of non-delivery are returned direct to the sender on payment of a second postage. Those bearing no name nor request for return are sent to the Returned Letter Branch, where, after having been advertised, they will, at the expiration of ten days thereafter, if not pre- viously claimed and a second postage paid, be disposed of.
120.-The name and address of the sender and the request for return should be written or printed in small type at the upper left-hand corner of the packet.
121.--All unpaid undelivered letters or post cards shall be delivered to the senders only on the payment of the amount charged thereon.
ARTICLES OF VALUE.
122.--Neither money nor any other article of value ought to be sent by post except in a registered postal packet and in the case of money by means of a Post Office Money Order or of a Postal Order duly filled up with the name of the payee. Any person who sends money or any other articles of value otherwise runs the risk of losing his property and the Post Office declines all responsibility for such and will make no enquiries into alleged losses of such letters.
MISCELLANEOUS.
123. Contrary to general usage, the Hongkong Post Office will give a Certificate of posting for an ordinary letter, to assure the sender his correspondence has not been stolen on the way to the Post. The conditions under which such Certificate will be given are as follows:
(1.) The certificate of posting written in ink must be presented to an officer on duty at the Post Office along with the article to be posted during the hours which the Post Office is open to the public.