Directory_and_Chronicle_1884 — Page 332

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.

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paper about the size of two postage aramos, otherwise it is was er in sensibility,

If not exact, Bome of the metal should be scraped or filed from the pan on tv kanavier side until the balance is perfectly accurate. If this has to be done often, however, the scales should be replaced with

new ones.

21.-No Postal Officer is bound to weigh correspondence, but he ought not to refuse to do so unless pressed for time.

Routes and Opportunities,

22.-All ordinary correspondence is sent on by the first opportunity of which the prepayment admits, unless especially directøl, or apparently prepaid for soine other route.

23.- First opportunity is taken to mean the steamer which may reasonably be expectul fa arrive first, but does not signify a sailing ship, as no correspondence is forwarded by tlint meuna unless specially so directed, or to a ple- to which few steniners run.

24.-Correspondence sperially director for any particular steamer is sent by her (failing any request to the contrary) however many times her departure m ty ho post jongl, umoss it is post- poned sine die, in which case the correspondence is sent on by the next opportunity.

25.-Correspondence fron the Coast marked vil Brin·lisi or vit Naples is KEPT FOR THE BOUTE INDICATED even though that my involve a fortnight's detention. Unless this is intended, therefore, the safest direction is By first mail.

(b.) No late fee is ever charged on Coast correspondence, at whatever hour it may reach

the longkong Office.

(c.) Firms at Coast Ports who wish to be sure that their Correspondence has caught the mail, should enclose with the letters a local Post Card addressed to themselves. On receiving this back again they may conclude that the letters were in time, unless the Card be marked TOO LATE.

26.-It is not necessary to pay postage on covers from the Coast containing stamped cor- respondence for the homeward nails. Letters &c., intended to be registered should be enclosed in a red envelope marked Letter for Registration in Hongkong, Please return the receipt to....................... This envelope should of course be inside the general parcel. Its contents are not regarded as Registered till a recript is actually issued.

27.-It seems to be commonly believed that there is some essential difference between the English and French mails for the United Kingdom. S me persons even direct their letters in French. In fact, however, the mails carried to London by French packet are seated in Hongkong, and not opened till they reach their destination. There is no difference whatever between the two mails, except as to the packets that carry them.

28. It is sometimes possible to overtake the French packet at Singapore by means of a direct private steamer. When this can be done Coast correspondence which arrived too late is so sent on. 29.--Maila may also be forwarded to London and Ports of call by the Ten steamers leaving Foochow and Hankow, either direct, or to catch the next contract mail at Singapore. Except by special request, only letters are sent in these mails. No unpaid or short paid matter is for- warded by them under any circumstances.

30.-Unless specially notified, mails are not usually made up at Hongkong for London or the Continent via San Francisco, as no advantage arises from forwarding correspondence by that route. 31.-Newspapers for China posted in the United Kingdom aud paid only Id. each insteal of 1d., which is the proper postage, are sent out by private steamers instead of by the contract

mails.

Australia.

32.-There are two routes to Australia, viz., vià Torres Straits, and viâ Colombo. The Torrea Straits route is the best for Eastern Australia as far as Sydney, for New Zealand, Tasmania, and Fiji. All correspondence for these places is thus sent unless otherwise directe. Correspon- dence for Adelaide and Perth may be sent by this route.

33. The route viå Colombo is best for Western and Southern Australia. Each homeward French Packet connects at Colombo with the P. & O. steamer which leaves that port for King George's Sound, Adelaide, and Melbourne. There is obviously no advantage in forwarding corres- pondence to Galle by intermediate steamers.

Batavia,

34. The Netherlands India Packets leave Singanovo fortnightly, and are fitted to the The French Packets for Batavia wait at Sin- arrival of the outward P. & O. Mail from Euro, 0. gapore for the Packets from China and run fortnightly.

Cape, Natal, Mauritius, &c.

35.-Each alternate homeward French Packot forms the best opportunity of forwarding sorrespondence to Aden for the Mauritius packet. The other French packet carries mails for Zanzibar, Mozambique, Natal and the Cape via Aden. As the packets for these places leave Aden only once in every four weeks, there is little advantage in forwarding the correspondence by intermediate steamers.

India.

36.-Correspondence for India is despatched by each British and each French Packet, as also by the direct steamers for Calcutta which leave about the 16th of each month. The route is chosen in each case so as to ensure the quickest possible delivery. Paid correspondence for Baglad,

636

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE,

Bassora, Runder Abas, Bushire, Cabul, Gwadar, Kashmir, Ladak, Tinga, Mandalay, Muscat, and Persia may be forwarded vid India at Union Itates.

Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus,

37.-Correspondence for the above stations is forwarded weekly, by either British or French Packet that for Malta and Gibraltar is sent viâ Brindisi or Naples as the case may bo.

The San Francisco Route, Canada, &c.

38. The route by San Francisco can be freely used for ordinacy or registered correspondence No mails for London or the Continent of Europe are usually for Union or Non-union countries. alosed by this route in Ilongkong, as no practical advantages result from its use, but correspon- The making up of mails vià San Francisco at Shanghai is left to the dence is sent if desired. United States and Japanese Post Offices,

39.-When it is desired to forward letters to the United States by a aniling ship not notified as carrying a mail, all that is necessary is to post the letters in the ordinary way, marked with the name of the ship, and prepaid 10 cents per half ounce as usual. The Post Office then un ler- takes the duty of obtaining notice of departure and despatching the correspondence. Such letters should be posted if possible at least one day before sailing,

West Indies.

40-Practically, all the West India Islands are included in the Postal Union.

Posting.

41.-Correspondence should be posted as curly as possible, and if there is much of it, any portion which can be got ready sooner than the rest should be sent off first, so as to post at the last moment only what it is absolutely indispensable to keep open as long as possible.

42.--This is necessary, not only for the convenience of the Postal service, but for that of the public, as, if all correspondence were kept back till the last moment, posting would have to cease considerably earlier than is the case at present.

43.-Early posting should not, however, be carried so far as to throw upon the Post Office masses of correspondence for the Coast, the United States, &e., just when the heavy mails for Europe are being made up. It is not un'ommon to see boxes of circulars for the "Const, &c., posted at these times, although no steamer may be leaving. It would require very little trouble and consideration to keep these back till the contract mail should have left.

44. The same thing applies to the somewhat unreasonable partiality for the English nail exbibited by the public. The French mail being the quicker opportunity, it is difficult to imagine why at least two-thirds of the correspondence forwarded should be kept back for the other, thus throwing a disproportionate amount of work on the Post Office on the very day when there is least time to do it. (See also paragraph 27).

45.-Boxhollers are allowed to post their correspondence in sealed boxes, which should be closed with some recognisable seal. The safest plan is to seal on the box itself, without tape or string, the old wax being removed before more is applied, Locked boxes cannot be allowed.

46.—A receipt book should be sent with each box, but as the receiving officer cannot under- take to count the correspondence sent, he only gives a receipt for One Box.

(b) No attention is promised to anything written in the book, To be Registered, for instanco. (c.) Loose receipts give much extra trouble, and are not recommended.

(d.) The back leaves of the Receipt Book should be fastened down, as coolics not infre-

quently waste some minutes in endeavours to find the place.

(e) Contrary to general usage the Hongkong Post Office will give a receipt of this kind for an ordinary letter, to assure the sender his correspondence has not been stolen on the way to the Post. But this receipt is not intended to be used against the Post Office in case the correspondence goes astray. Some few Offices grant acknowledg- ments of posting on payment of a halfpenny or so for each letter acknowledged, and even then they decline to admit that any such acknowledgment refers to any particular letter. Others have abandoned the practice of giving receipts even on payment. It is obviona therefore that this Office can har·lly allow its free receipts to be used to found complaints on. If that is intended the correspondence should be Registered. 47.-It is strongly recommended that chit books used for sending to the Post Office should be set apart for that special duty, and kept distinct from others used for general interchange of notes, &c. This greatly facilitates enquiry in case of correspondence being missed, delayed, &c. Such chit books should be ruled with wide lines.

43. The Post Office will not give a receipt for the amount of Stamps put on any correspond- ence (except for purposes of account), nor undertake to see that servants affix the correct amount, nor receive unstamped correspondence in covers with the money enclosed, nor clurge outward postage to any person's account, except as provided by the Local Postal Regulations, paragraph 159c. There is no objection to receipting a chit-book for the correspondence of a non-boxholder if brought to the proper window, but chit-books in cases or bags should not be sent.

49.It is particularly requested that circulars, prices current, or newspapers be not mixed up with letters. They should be sent to the Post in bundles, the addresses all ono way,

50.-Large quantities of newspapers, should not be dropped through the letter slits, but passed into the office (in a box or bag) through the proper window.