HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
421
180.- No parcel can be insured for more than the sum set out in Appendix IV.. against the name of the country or colony to which it is addressed, or for a sum above the real value of the contents. A parcel of which the contents have no saleable value may, however, be insured for a nominal sum in order to obtain the safeguards of the registration system. Over-insurance is a bar to compensation.
181. The sum for which a parcel is to be insured must be entered on the cover, thus: "Insured for £-s.d." It must also be inscribed in the place pro- vided on the despatch note if one is used. The number of pounds should be entered in words. No alteration or erasure of the entry is permitted.
182. Every insured parcel must be packed carefully and substantially, with due regard to the nature of the contents and length of the journey, and must be sealed with wax or lead in such a way that it cannot be opened without either breaking the seal or leaving obvious traces of violation. For instance, seals must be placed over each joint or loose flap of the covering of a parcel, and if string be used in packing a seal must be placed on the ends of the string where they are tied.
183. All the seals on a parcel must be of the same kind of wax or lead and must bear distinct impressions of some device, and this device must be the same on each seal and must not consist merely of straight, curved, or crossed lines. Coins or buttons. must not be used for sealing, and it is strongly recommended that, when possible, an impression of the seal used on the parcel should be made on the counterfoil of the despatch note.
184.-Parcels containing coin, any article of gold or silver, or any article of value, must be enclosed in strong boxes or cases, which must be sewn up, or otherwise fastened, in wrappers of linen, canvas, strong paper, or other substantial material. In such cases the seals must be placed along the edges of each joint or loose flap at distances not more than three inches apart. The address of such parcels must be written on their actual covering.
185.-If a parcel tendered for insurance does not, in the opinion of the officer to whom it is tendered, fulfil the foregoing conditions as to packing and sealing, it is his duty to- refuse to insure it; but the onus of properly packing and fastening the parcel lies upon the sender, and the Post Office assumes no liability for loss or damage arising from defects of packing or fastening which may not be observed at the time of posting.
186.-Unless parcels containing coin, any article of gold or silver or any articles of value, are insured for at least part of their value they cannot be sent by Parcel Post to the places mentioned in Rule 176. Any such parcel uninsured will generally be returned to the sender. A compulsory registration fee of 20 cents will be collected on the delivery of every uninsured parcel received from the places above mentioned and found to contain coin, any article of gold or silver, or any article of value.
187. When an insured parcel is re-directed from one country to another a fresh insurance fee becomes payable for each transmission. If this fee is not prepaid it is collected from the addressee on delivery. Insured parcels can only be re-directed to countries which have adopted the insurance system.
188.-Compensation for the loss or damage in the post of an insured or its contents will not exceed the amount of the actual loss or damage, and will not be paid for a parcel containing any prohibited article, nor for a parcel which has been delivered without external trace of injury and has been accepted without remark, nor for damage of exceptionally fragile articles which from their nature cannot reasonably be expected to travel safely by post, such as clay figures, soap-stone and alabaster 'models, collections of butterflies and moths, china, and glassware.
Compensation will not be given as a matter of course when loss arises from tein- pest, shipwreck, earthquake, war or other canses beyond the control of the Post Office, but the Postmaster General will be prepared to consider on its merits any claim for compensation in respect of the total loss from fire, and shipwreck due to accidents of navigation, provided that such occurred whilst the parcel was under the control of the Hongkong Postal Administration. No claim for compensation will be admitted if made more than a year after
the parcel was posted.
The sender has the first claim to any compensation which may be payable but
he may waive his claim favour of the addressee.
189.-No legal liability to give compensation in respect of any parcel for which an insurance fee has been paid attaches to the Postmaster General, either personally or in his official capacity. The final decision upon all questions of compensation rests with the Postal Administration of the country in which the loss or damage has taken place.