CORRESPONDENCE EXEMPT FROM POSTAGE
The following letters are not subject to any postage:-
(1) Letters on official business, posted in the Colony by Government Department locally addressed and marked "On Her Majesty's Service" and signed in the lower left-hand corner with the usual signature of the Head or Assistant Head' of the de- partment of origin;
(2)
Letters on postal business posted in the Colony to the Post-
master General;
(3) Letters on Hong Kong Savings Bank business for addressees within the Colony, posted by, or addressed to the Hong Kong Savings Bank.
LIABILITY OF SENDER FOR PAYMENT OF POSTAGE
The sender is legally liable for any charges properly made upon a postal packet which has been posted either unpaid or underpaid, and, if the addressee cannot be found, or if he refuses to pay the charges or accept the packet, the charges can be recovered from the sender by legal process,
DELIVERY OF UNPAID OR UNDERPAID PACKETS TO ADDRESSEES
Insufficiently paid packets must be either accepted and the postage due paid, or forthwith refused. Postmen are not permitted to allow a prior inspection of the contents.
VERIFICATION OF SURCHARGES
No one to whom a letter or other postal packet is tendered for de- livery, should pay any charge demanded in respect of unpaid postágé, unless a date-stamped postage due label (or labels) to the face value of the amount demanded, is affixed to the cover of the packet.
Inquiries respecting surcharges should be addressed to the Post- master General. In some cases it will suffice to enclose the cover, but if the packet was forwarded in an unsealed cover, the whole packet must be sent. The whole packet, before being opened, if sealed, must also be produced if the surcharge is questioned on ground of weight, and no question on this point can be entertained in respect of a closed packet which has been opened. If, more con- venient, the packet may be taken to any post office for the weight to be verified unless it was posted abroad, in which case it should be taken to the General Post Office.
The unit of weight for letters from countries using the metric system is 20 grammes (less than ounce), and not 1 ounce as in the case of countries using the avoirdupois system; and surcharges may frequently be explained by the difference in the units of weight.
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