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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE,
495
113.-The Stamps tendered for sale must not exceed $50 in value, must be perfectly clean, and in good condition. They must be presented personally or accompanied by a note.
114.-The Postmaster or Agent may postpone purchasing if his public funds in hand are not sufficient, and he will refuse to purchase in any case which appears doubtful or suspicious. He is allowed to charge a commission of one per cent. on all stamps purchased.
115.-Letters containing Stamps should be Registered, and the stamps should be secured
from observation.
116.-Boxholders (but boxholders only) are at liberty to mark their Postage Stamps on the back or face, or by perforation, so as to prevent their being stolen. If the mark be on the face, it must be such as not to interfere with the clean appearance of the stamp.
117. Postage Stamps are sold for cash only. Correspondence will not be stamped at the Post Office and charged to a boxholder's account, except as provided by the Local Postage regula. tions (see paragraph 159c).
118. The shroffs who sell stamps are not allowed to affix them, even if requested to do so, This must be done by the purchaser.
119. Specimen Stamps cannot be supplied to the public except on receipt of their full value, A complete set of the stamps in use (see par. 108) costs $1.99, or with the $2 and $3 stamps, $6.99. in the case of cards, bundles of 100, No obsolete stamps can be supplied except in sheets of 240, or, Several obsolete valnes cannot be had at all.
120. The officers of the Post Office cannot undertake to collect obliterated Postage Stamps. 121. All persons are recommended to keep Postage Stamps under Chubb lock and key, and in posting large quantities of correspondence to send it in a box carefully sealed (see paragraphs 45 and 46). The best way to deal with Postage Stamps that have got stuck together is to steam Then them for a few minutes, separate them gently, and dry them on blotting paper in the sun. add a little fresh gum.
Money Orders.
122.-Money Orders are exchanged with the United Kingdom, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Port Darwin, the Straits Settlements, Western Australia, and (except at Shanghai) with the Japanese Empire. Hongkong also issues orders on Shanghai, and vice versa, 123. Small sums may be remitted between the other ports by means of Postage Stamps, subject to a charge of one per cent. for cashing them. (See paragraphs 112-115).
An
124. Many money orders are supplied to residents at the smaller ports in this way. application for an order is filled up, and is enclosed with a stamped, directed, and unsealed envelope to the Postmaster at the nearest issuing office. The application must be accompanied with the full amount (including commission) in cheque, postage stamps, or other equivalent of cash, and a little margin should be left for variations of exchange. The Postmaster issues the order, sends it on in the envelope, and returns the change, if any, by first opportunity, with a receipt for the letter if it were to be registered, as it always should be. Care should be taken to send these applications in time, as the money order offices close some hours before the departure of the mail. If sufficient money be not sent, the deficiency will be deducted from the amount of the order, as no order can be issued either wholly or partly on credit for anybody, however well known or trustworthy.
125. No order must exceed £10 or $50, or include any fraction of a penny. Two £10 or $50 orders is the limit of any one remittance. Orders will be drawn at the current rate of the day †, and paid at the rate of the day when the advice arrived. The commission is as follows:--
Local and Intercolonial Orders. Up to $25 or £ 5..... 25 cents. Up to $50 or £10.. .50 cents.
Orders on United Kingdom.
Up to £2......18 cents.
Up to £5......36 cents.
Up to £7. .54 cents.
Up to £10......72 cents.
126. Lists of money order offices in the United Kingdom may be consulted at Hongkong and Shanghai.
127.-Names must be given in full (except when there is more than one Christian name), but the name of the payee need not be given if the order be crossed like a cheque. It can then be paid only through a bank, and may afterwards be specially crossed to any bank.
128. No order can be paid till the payee has signed it in the proper place. An order can be transferred to another office on payment of an additional commission. In case of loss of an order, necessity for stopping payment, or the like, application should be made to the nearest money order office for instructions.
129. If the order be not presented within six months an additional commission will be charged; if not within twelve months, the money will be forfeited. When the order is once paid no further claim can be entertained.
130. No order can be paid until the advice relative to it has been received.
* Made out on a printed form which is supplied gratis.
+ In the case of local orders on Shanghai this is generally taken to be 2 per cent. premium. A dollar rate for drawing on the United Kingdom is in force at Shanghai."
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