HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
637
61. The Post Office un lertakes no responsibility with regard to corrosiondence postel in moveable boxes on board Packets. These boxes are established for public convenience, but the correspondence must be regarded as at the semler's risk until it actually reaches a Post Ollice. 62.-Aa to posting correspondence for the United States by sailing ship see paragraph 39, 53. Any article of correspondence once posted becomes the property of the addressen, und cannot be returned to the sender, nor can it be detained, without the written authority of the Governor of Hongkong or of Her Majesty's Consul at the Port, on an application stating fully the reasons of the request.
Registration.
No
54,-Every description of paid correspondence inay be registered, except such as is addressed to initials or fictitious names, or is not properly fastened and secured. The fee is 10 cents. unpaid or short-paid correspondence can be registered except official letters The sender of any Registered article may have a receipt sont with it for signature by the addressee and return, on paying an extra fee of 5 cents. As to Registry of correspondence sent from the Const see par. 26.
55.-Letters to bo registered should not be dropped into the box, but should be handed to the receiving officer at the proper window, and a receipt obtained. The hour of registry will be marked on the receipt if specially requested. Merchants or bankers who have several letters to register at once are requested to send a list of the addresses in duplicate, one copy of which is at once signed by the registry clerk as a receipt. Whoever presents an article for Registry MUST ASK FOR A RECEIPT. It seems nee sary to explain that asking for a receipt w sans grying, "I want a receipt." Nothing written on the letter or elsewhere can replace this indispensable precaution.
Letters for
5ti. Registration cannot be carriol on up to the very moment of closing tin nail. The time fixed for its cessation varies from five minuter up to an hour before that imo. registration should be presentol in good time, and, except when it is necessary, persons should avoid presenting correspondence for r-gistry by next mail whilst the officers of the Post Office are busy in closing that one actually going (see also paragraphs 152, 155),
57.-All letters addressed to the United Kingdom or to any port in China, and marked Registered, but dropped into the box, are liable to compulsory registration. That is to say, they are registered and à double fee is charged on delivery.
68.—The Post Office is not legally responsible for the safe delivery of Registered Correspond- ence, but henceforth it will be prepared to make gɔol the contents of such correspondence lost while passing through the Post, to the extent of $10, in certain cases, provided :—
(a) That the sender duly observed all the conditions of Registration required.
(b) That the correspondence was securely enclosed in a reasonably strong euvelopo. (e) That application was made to the Postmaster General of Hongkong immediately the loss was discovered, the envel.po being invariably forwarded with such applica-
tion unless it also is lost.
(d) Tuat the Postmaster General is satisfied the loss occurred whilst the correspondence was in the custody of the British Postal administration in China; that it was not caused by any fault on the part of the send r; by destruction by fire, or shipwreck; nor by the dishonesty or negligence of any person not in the employment of the Hongkong Post Oflice.
69.-No commistion can be paid for mere damage to fragile articles such as portraits, watches, han lson Ny bound books, &c., which roach their destination, although in a broken or deteriorated condition. .
60.-A moment's reflection will show that, if an ordinary letter or packet be once lost, there is almost no chance of its being traced. A registered article, however, is practically beyond risk of loss (except from casualty) and may be looked on us absolutely safe. To register all valuablə articles is not only a wise but is also a cheap precaution.
(b.) The Post Office declines all responsibility for unregistered Letters containing Bank nctes, &c.. and, where Registration has been neglected, will make no enquiries into alleged losses of such letters.
61. It is particularly recommended that packets of photographs, collections of postage stamps, &c., be registered. These objects often have not only a high intrinsic value, but also it may be impossible to replace them. They offer temptations to theft, and photographs frequently attract attention from the way in which they are packed. It is not judicious to risk some guineas' worth of works of art for the sake of a 5d. registration fee.
62.—A redirected Registered article should not be dropped into the box or sent to the Post Office without remark, but the attention of the receiving oflicer should be called to the fact that it is registered, and the receipt originally signed for it should be obtained and destroyed.
Letters. Unpaid and Loose.
63.—As a general rule, unpaid correspin·lence bears the mark T. Nothing can be sent on wholly unpaid except letters. The addressce is charged double the deficient postage, unless the despatching office have omitted to indicate it, when be is charged a double union rate, Local postage, however, is not doubled. Persons receiving unpaid letters which they suppose to be wrongly charged, should pay the postage, and keep the cover for the purpose of obtaining a refund
639
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
(see paragraph 2). To keep or open the letter, whilst refusing to pay the postage, is a courao open to many olj, etions. No letter can be treated ns Refused if it he's been opencil.
61.-Ltters arriving, loose on board ship,(i.c. not in the Maila) are trenbiol as unpaid, no credit being given for any foreign Postage Stamps they may bear (see paragraph 102). 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 ad tross side, not on the soul side, Consignees' letters, being privil god by law, need not be sent to the Post Office at all, but if they are sent they are liable to erdiary rates of postage.
65.—Figures marked on ・ ng correspondenco in Red merely denote what has been paid, and therefore nothing more should ever be jaid on necount of such figures.
66.-But figures in black, or blue, denote postage to pay. Thus a veil 5 indicates five cents paid, and the addressee has nothing to pay, but a blue or black 5 means that there is five cents Jet to pay.
67-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 sant. It is not undertaken that such letters will be returned in time to he repeated for the mail. If the writer cannot be founi, the letter is advertised us detained for postage and a notice sent to the nib-dressee,
Soldiers' and Sailors' Letters.
GS.-Privates in II.M. Army or Navy, Non-commissionel Officers,* Bandmasters, Writers, Army Schoolinsters (not Superintending or first class), or Schoolmistresses may send half-ounce letters to the United Kingdom by private ship for one penny, or by Mail Packet for two-pence. They amy also exchange local letters or letters for other parts of the world at a penny each. Hongkong stamps will prepay this class of correspondence êxactly the same as Imperial Stamps. 69.-Soldiers' and Sailors' Letters are, however, charged as Ordinary Letters if they do not conform to the following regulations :—
-
No double letters are allowed.
1. Not to exceed half an ounce. 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.
Post Cards.
✓
70.—Two values of Post Cards are issued by the Hongkong Office, as follows
For local circulation, i.e., anywhere within the limits of China, Japan, Siam
direct, Cochin-China, Tonquin, or the Philippinest To Union Countries generally.....
1 cent. 3 cents.
71-Nothing must be written or printed on the stamped side of the card but the address. Any communication whatever, whether of the nature of a letter or not, may be written or printed, or partly written and partly printed on the other side. But no card will be forwarded on which anything libellous, insulting, or indecent has been written, printed, or drawn.
72-Nothing must be attached to a Post Card, nor may it be folded, cut, or otherwise altered. If so, it will be charged as a letter. Thin paper, smaller than the card, may, however, be gummed
smoothly on it.
73.-No other kind of card can be forwarded through the Post except at letter rates, or at Book rate if the card bears no communication of the nature of a letter.
74.—In regard to hours for posting, late fees, &c., Post Cards are submitted to the same
rules as lettera.
75.—A card of insufficient value may be fully prepaid by the addition of an adhesive stamp of proper amount.
76.-The officers of the Post Offico have strict instructions not to repent or talk about anything they may see on Post Cards,
Books and Pallerns.
77-Books and patterns are charged at so much per two ounces. The Union rate is 2 cents. 78-The term books includes all kinds of printed literary matter, with whatever is necessary for its illustration or safe transmission, as maps, rollers, binding. &c., but a book must contain Do communication whatever of the nature of a letter. Stamps of any kind, whether obliterated or not, or any papers representing monetary value, such as coupons, drafts, lottery tickets, &c., must be sent at letter rates.
79,-A book may contain an inscription presenting it, notes or marks referring to the text, or such writing us With the author's compliments. &c.
80.-Proofs, or corrected proofs, with or without manuscript attached, may also be forwarded At Book rates, but press copies (made with the copying press) come under the heading of Letters or Commercial Papers according to the nature of the subject-matter.
* But not warrant officers, viz., conductor, assistant engineer, gunner, boat swain, or carpenter, As to using these cards for the purpose of obtaining acknowledgments of posting, sce par. 25. Copying from a gelatine pad is taken to be printing, but press copying is writing.