476
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
22.--Cards bearing the title "Post-card" or its equivalent are admitted at the rate for printed matter provided that they conform to the general regulations respecting printed papers. If they do not conform either to these regulations or to the rules applicable to post-cards, they are treated as letters.
23.-A Post-card must not be folded, cut, or otherwise altered, nor may it be enclosed in a cover of any kind.
Mails
24. The dates and hours of closing all mails in the General Post Office are published twice daily in a special Mail Notice, except on Sundays and Holidays.
25. This information is also given on the Mail Notice Board in front of the Office; in case of doubt this should be consulted, as notifications of sailings, etc., are often received too late for insertion in a mail notice.
26. Inward mails are advertised as above whenever practicable.
27. The usual time for closing a mail is one hour before the steamer is advertised to sail. Letters prepaid with 10 cents in addition to the postage will, if handed over the counter, be received after the advertised time of closing the mail until the mail has actually left the office.
28.-Registered nails are closed a quarter of an hour before the ordinary mails, except in the case of contract packets for Europe and America, when the period is three-quarters of an hour.
29.-Letters and Post-cards to Europe are sent via Siberia unless marked to the contrary. Printed matter is sent via Suez unless prepaid at letter rate.
30.-Correspondence marked "vid Siberia" or "vid Marseilles" will be kept for the route indicated even though this may involve a fortnight's detention. The safest direction is "By first mail".
31.-Correspondence specially directed for any particular steamer is sent by her (failing any request to the contrary), however many times her departure may be postponed. If it is postponed sine die the correspondence is sent on by the next opportunity.
32.-Relates to Oficial franking of letters in Hongkong.
Letters
33.-No letter may exceed 2 feet in length, 1 foot in width or 1 foot in depth, unless it be sent to or from a Government Office.
34.-Addresses should be as complete as possible in order to facilitate delivery. In order that, in the event of the letter becoming from any cause undeliverable, it may be returned to the writer unopened, it is recommended that the sender's name and address be also superscribed on the cover.
35--Insufficiently paid correspondence must be either accepted and the fine paid or forthwith refused. Postmen are not allowed to permit a previous inspection of the contents of unclosed printed matter, packets, etc.
36. The general rule as to insufficiently paid letters is to charge the addressee double the deficient postage. Nothing can be sent wholly unpaid except Letters and Post Cards.
37.-Consignees' letters, being privileged by law, need not be sent to the Post Office at all, but if they are sent they are liable to ordinary rates of postage
38.In the event of an unpaid letter becoming a dead letter, the sender is liable, according to international rules, to pay the deficient postage and the fine.
39.-Complants, etc., addressed to the Postmaster-General need not be Stamped.
Newspapers
40.-Correspondence on Savings Bank business if posted in Hongkong or at the Agencies in China and addressed "Hongkong Saving Bank" will be forwarded free.
41.-Newspapers should be so folded and covered (if posted in a cover) as to permit the title to be easily inspected. Newspapers must be open at both ends.
42.-A bundle of newspapers may be prepaid at so much each (and each one must count, however small), or the whole may be paid at book rate.
43.-Newspapers published in Hongkong and posted singly to the following places are accepted at the special rate of 2 cents per 4 oz. or fraction thereof :-Australia, Canada, Ceylon, China, Corea, Formosa, India, Japan, Macao, N. Indies, New Zealand, Philippines, Siam, Straits Settlements, Timor and United Kingdom.