:
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
This reprint supersedes all previous issues of the Postal Guide, and is the only authorised complete summary of Postal regulations. Whilst always willing to supply information in other ways, the Department declines responsibility for errors in replies to verbal applications (especially if addressed to Chinese) or notes to sub_ ordinate officers. The Chinese Shroffs at the windows are placed there to sell slanje, not to decide what is correct postage, which they often do not know.
Par. 1
3 - 5
-
6-12
13-18
.Ofces.
How to address.
ה
Books and Patterns.
Commercial Papere.
1884.
CONTENTS.
Par, 77- BG
Dimensions. Weights, Contents.
87-90
#
91-97
Rates of Postage.
98-100
#
Weighing.
101-103
Routes and Opportunities.
D
104-107
41 - 63
Posting.
108-121
5443
Registration.
122-130
JI
63-67
.
Letters. Unpaid and Longe.
131-148
Blisce racons.
68-69
Letters
Soldiers' and Sailors'.
#
70-76
Post Cards,
14-149 150-167
Private Boara.
19-21
92-10
A
Newspapers.
Prices Current and Circulars.
Local Parcel Part.
Requests for Bedirection.
Postage Stamps.
Money Orders.
Hongkong Office,
1.—The Head Office for British Postal business in China is at Hongkong; there is a Post Office also at Shanghai, and Agencies at the following places :-
Canton, Hoibow (honorary), Macao (honorary), Swatow, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Hankow, and Tientsin.
2. All complaints, or representations of matters which cannot be adjusted locally, should be addressed to the Postmaster General, Hongkong, and, if marked On Postal Business, will be forwarde 1 free by any Postmaster or Agent (see also paragraphs 141, 142).
(b.) The cover of any correspondence about which complaint is made should if possibla be forwarded with such complaint.. Neglect of this generally renders enquiry impossible. (c) When corespondence has been missent or delayed (both of which are liable to happen
ocensionally) all that the complainant need do is to write on the cover, Sent to....... or Delivered at ......... or Not received till the ...th instant, er as the case may be, and forward it, without any note or letter whatever, to the Postmaster General. Attention to this would save much writing and needless trouble. (d.) Open a cover about which you intend to complain by cutting along the top, rather
than by tearing it at random.
Dimensions, Weights, and Contents of Correspondence.
8. No articles of correspondence, unless to or from a Government Office, must exceed the following measurement :~2 feet long, 1 foot wide. I foot deep. There is no limit to the weight of letters, but the weights of other articles (except official correspondence) are limited as follows:- To British Offices. To other Offices.
.5lb.. БІБ.
Books or Papers........ Patterns
Pattern Packets for non-Bri by 2 inches.
..4lb. .8oz.
offices must not exceed these dimensions, 3 inches by 4 inches
4. No letter or packet, whether to be registered or unregistered, can be received for Postage (except by local parcel post) if it contains gold or silver money, jewela, 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.
3.The following articles cannot be sent by post at all: glass, liquids, gunpowder, matches, indigo, dye-stuffs, sugar, soup, candles or whatever is dangerous to the mails, or offensive or injurious to persons dealing with them. There is no objection to the transmission of empty match boxes, or of imitation matches, the beads of which are made of sealing wax or other harmless matter. They should be distinctly marked, Echantillon, Allumettes non inflammables, oc Pattern, Imitation matches only, otherwise the packet will not be forwarded.
How to Address Correspondence.
6. The address and the Postage stamps should always be on the same side of the correa- pondence the side opposite to the scal or fastening. Legible handwriting is of course of great importance.
63+
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
7.—A Nowspaper should be address d on the paper itself, as well as on any loose cover o2 wrapper in which it may be enclosed. Should the wrapper be lost the paper can then still be
gent on.
8.-Every letter, book, or pattern pr. ket should bear the sender's name outside as well aa inside. In case of non-delivery it can then be returned without being of ened.
9.-Those who provide printed envelopes for their local correspondence would do well to add the addresses in Chin se,
10. The word London alone is not a sufficient address for a letter, however well known may be the person or firm to whom it is directed. Number and street should be added, together with the proper distinguishing letters, E.C.; W.; &e., na the case may be. Letters addressed without street and number are NOT DELIVERED in London, but are returned,
(b) Similarly, residents in China should have their correspondence directed fully. A letter directed W. Jones, Esq., Hongkong, would not improbably be put aside by the marine officer for enquiry in the Hongkong office, aud thus be delayed. But if it were directed W. Jones, Esq., Messrs. B. C. & Co., Hongkong, no difficulty could aris». 11.-There is no objection to Telegraphic Code addresses if they are registered at the Post Office expected to deliver the Telegrams.
12. Letters addressed London, Io be called for, are not received at any offices but St. Martin's- le-Grand and Charing Cross, nor are they received there if directed to initials or fictitious names, or to any person except a stranger or traveller. No one is allowed habitually to receive letters through the Poste Restante in London.
Rates of Postage.
13.-There are uniform Rates of Postage to all countries of the Postal Union by whatever route, but with certain exceptions given below. No extra charges can be made on delivery. Re-directed Union Correspondence* may be re-posted without further payment.
14.-A list of the countries of the Postal Union is printed on the Table of Rates of Postage (see page 647) to be had at the various Post Offices and Agencies free. They may be said 10 include all the civilised world except the Australasian and South African groups of colonies, and
■ few countries in Central and South America.
15.
The general Rates of Postage† are as follow:--
Letters, per joz
Post Cards, each
Books and Commercial papers, per 2 oz.
Newspapers and Prices Current, euch...... Registration....
Do with return receipt
10 cents.
3 24
2
»
2
J
10 1
15
16. But all packets of Commercial papers (Papers other than letters, any part of which is written by hand) weighing four ounces and under are charged 5 cents, which is the minimum charge for this class of correspondence.
17.-Exceptions. For Non-Union Countries see page 648. The following are the Local and ·
Town Rates :--
BOOKS,
B-NTS
LACH.
BEGIS-
TRATION.
LETTER3
FER OZ.
POST CARIS, EACH.
| NEWS. PARCELS & PAPERS & PRICE CUR- PATTERNS. PER 3 oz.
cente.
cents.
cents.
cents. coats,
General Local Rates for Hongkong, Macao, China, Japan," Siam direct (a), Cochin China, Tonquin, and the Philippines......
6
1
2
10
ارحام
(a) Via Singapore, 10 cents. (b) Between Hongkong, Canton, and Bincao, 3 cents. 18.-Official Letters may be sent unpaid to certain public offices in London, as to which further information may be had on application.
Weighing Correspondence.
19-In weighing letters it is better to leave a little targin, or add postage for the next balf-ounce, us scules 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. Especial care should be taken to fully prepay Letters posted with late fee, as insuficient prepayment of this class of correspondence leads to
much inconvenience.
20.-Lettur soules 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 teet 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 Union Correspondenrs means that exchanged between any two countries of the Postal Union. The above rule does not *pply to Local Correspondence the original payment on which was not sufficient for the second transit. Thus a letter from Amoy to Hongkong, paid 5 cents only, and redirected to Paris, would be liable to a further charge,
It does not follow that the Rates of Postage from any Union Country are necessarily the same as the above.