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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
35.-Letters arriving loose on board ship (i.e. not in the Mails) are treated as unpaid no credit being given for any foreign Postage Stamps they may bear. Such Stamps are oblitented. As a general rule, a loose letter may be distinguished by its bearing only one Postmark, viz, that of the office of delivery, and this on the address side, not on the seal side. 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, except that those arriving from other ports, and being duly marked Consignee's letter are charged only local rates for delivery.
36.-Figures marked on any correspondence in Red merely denote what has been paid, and therefore nothing more should ever be paid on account of such figures.
37.-But figures in black, or blue, denote postage to pay. These are generally in pence and must be doubled to be put into cents. Thus a red 4 indicates eight cents paid, and the addressee has nothing to pay, but a blue or black 4 means that there is four pence (eight cents) yet to pay. Dimensions. Weights. Contents.
38. No articles of correspondence, unless to or from a Government office, must exceed the following measurement:-2 feet long, 1 foot wide, 1 foot deep. There is no limit to the weight of letters, but the weights of other articles (except Government office) are limited as follows:-
To British Offices. To other Offices.
Books or Papers......... Patterns
...bib....
2lb. ...80%.
39.-No letter or packet, whether to be registered or unregistered, can be received for Postage if it contains gold and silver money, jewels, precious articles, or anything that, as a general rule, is liable to Customs duties. This Regulation prohibits the sending of Patterns of dutiable articles, unless the quantity sent be so small as to make the sample of no value.
40.-The following articles cannot be sent by post at all: glass, liquids, gunpowder, matches, indigo, dye-stuffs, or whatever is dangerous to the mails, or offensive or injurious to persons dealing with them. Sugar, soap, and candles may be sent in flat tins, as to which see note to paragraph 71.
Prepayment. Letters.
41.-In weighing letters it is better to leave a little margin, or add postage for the next half-ounce, as scales are apt not to be quite exact, and if the true weight be exceeded to the smallest extent the letter is treated as short-paid.
42.-Letter scales are very apt to get out of order, and the derangement almost always leads to their allowing too much weight in letters rather than too little. It is, however, easy both to test and to adjust them. Equal weights being placed in either scale, say half an ounce in each, the balance should be exactly even (each scale hanging free) and should turn with a bit of paper about the size of two postage stamps, otherwise it is wanting in sensibility. If not true, some of the metal should be scraped or filed from the pau on the heavier side until the balance is perfectly accurate. If this has to be done often, however, the scales should be replaced with
new ones,
43.—A short-paid letter, directed for a route by which prepayment is compulsory, is returned to the writer (being opened, if necessary, for that purpose) unless there is some other route by which it can be sent. It is not undertaken that such letters will be returned in time to be reposted for the mail. If the writer cannot be found, the letter is advertised as detained for postage and a notice sent to the addressee.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Letters.
44.-Privates in H.M. Army or Navy, Non-commissioned Officers, Army Schoolmasters (not Superintending or first class) or Schoolmistresses may send half-ounce letters to the United Kingdom via Southampton for one penny, or via Brindisi for three-pence. Hongkong stamps will prepay this class of correspondence exactly the same as Imperial Stamps.
45.-Soldiers' and Sailors' Letters are, however, charged as Ordinary Letters if they do not conform to the following regulations :-
Madaga
1.-Not to exceed half an ounce. No double letters are allowed.
2.—If from a soldier or sailor, his class or description must be stated in full on the letter, and the commanding officer must sign his name, with name of regiment, or ship, &c., in full.
3.-If to a soldier or sailor, his class or description must be stated in full, with name of
regiment, or ship, &c., in full.
Registration.
46.-Every description of correspondence may be registered, except such as is addressed to initials or fictitious names, or is not properly fastened and secured. The general rate is 8 cents, though to some countries 12 cents is charged (see Table of Rates). No unpaid or short-paid correspondence can be registered except official letters.
47.-Letters toɔ be registered should not be dropped into the box, but should be handed to the receiving officer and a receipt obtained. The hour of registry will be marked on the receipt
But not warrant officers, viz., assistant engineer, gunner, boatswain, or carpenter.