Directory_and_Chronicle_1884 — Page 335

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.

HONG KONG POSTAL GUIDE.

611

(A.) Letters for a firm will not be intercepted without the written authority of that are. (4.) Intercepted correspondence can nuver ve delivered until at least two hours after the

local delivery.

(j.) As a general rule, whatever can be done by a friend outside will not be done in the

Post Office.

(k.) Correspondence from the Continent for Northern Ports by French packet cannot bo

intercepted, nor can that for Yokohama by any Mail.

106.--No request is acted on for more than three months, at the end of which time the correspondence resumes its usual course.

•

%

107.-Persons visiting Hongkong, Shanghai, &c., for a few weeks, and intercepting their correspondence there, should, before leaving, cancel their request, or it will continue in force, thus subjecting the correspondence to delay.

Postage Stamps.

108.-Hongkong Postage Stamps of the following values can bo purchased and are availablo at any British Post Office or Agency in Hongkong or China :—

2 cents, or id.

+

*

2d.

"

5

"

* 2}d.

10

"

5d.

2

30 cents,

or 1/3.

48

2

#

2/0.

4/0.

96 cunts,

2 Dollars, 8/4.

3 Dollars, or 12/6. Post Curds-

1 cent. 3 cents.

109. These Stamps are not availablo at British offices out of Hongkong or Chína. 110.-British Postage Stamps ure not sold at the offices named above, nor are they available except for the correspondence of officers and seamen of Her Majesty's flout.

111.-Postage must be prepaid in Stamps, not in moucy. The Stamps must be whole, clean, and placed on the address side of the letter. No refund will be made of any extra charge resulting from stamps placed on the seal anda being overlooked. Stumps should be carefully anixed so as not to fall off, as they sometimes do.

112. Postmastera and Agents are allowed (but not required) to purchaso Hongkong Postage Stamps from foreign residents.

113. The Stamps tendered for salo 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 Postin ister or Aguat miy postpono 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 ono per cont. on all stamps purcha‹ød.

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 If the mark bo on the face, back or face, or by perforation, so as to prevent their being stolen.

it must be such as not to interfere with the clean appearance of tuo stamp).

117. Postage Stamps are sold for cash only." "Correspondence will not be stamped at the Post Odico aud 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 thoif full valuo, A complete sot of the stamps in use (sec par. 108) costs $1.99, or with the $2 and 33 stamps, $6.99. No obsolete stamps can be supplied.

120.- fue oilcers of the Post Office cannot undertake to collect obliterated Postage Stamps. 121-All persons are recomiende (to kʊup Postag› Stamps unler Chubb lock and Key, and in posting large quantities of correspondence to send it in a box carefully sealed (seo paragraphs 45 and 16). The best way to dual with Postage Stamps that have got stuck together is to steam them for a few minutes, separate thon gently, and dry them on blotting paper in the sun. add a little fresh gum.

Money Orders.

122.-Money Orders are exchanged with the following Countries:-

Ceylou.

India.

Japan (except at Shanghai).

New South Wales.

Port Darwia.

Queensland.

South Australia.

Straits Settlements. Tasmania.

United Kingdom. Victoria.

Western Auзt-alia.

Hongkong also issues orders on Shang'ai a'id rice versa.

and

123.-Small soms may bo remitted between Hongkong the Ports of China by means of Postage Stamps, subject to a charge of one per cent. for cashing them. (3 so paragraphi 112-115).

An

124-Many money orders ars applied to resints at the smaller ports in this way. application for an order * is filled up, and is enclosed with a stamped, diraerat, and unsvalod envelope to the Postinastor at the nearest issuing office. The application m 15.

03 200ompaniod

• Made out on a printed form which is supplied gratis.

013

with the full amount (including commission) in cheque, postage stamp, or other equivalent of gash, and a little margin should be left for variations of exclange. By far the best way is to send a round sum to cover everything. That is to say, Postage and Commission having been deducted, the Order is to be drawn for the Balance, whether more or losa, The Postmaster issues the order, send 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, ns it always should be." Cavo should be taken to end 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

No envelone is needed if they Order is to be drawn on India. known or trustworthy.

126. No order must exceed £10 or $50 (unless drawn on India, when the limit is 150 Rupees) or include any fractional money. Two £10 or $50 orders is the limit of any one remit- tance. Orders will be drawn at the current rate of the day *, and paid at the rate of the day when the advice arrives. Orders from the Australian Colonies are cashed at a somewhat higher rate, depending on that obtainable on the sale of a Sterling Bill on London. The commission (according to the currency in which the order is drawn) is as follows:—

Up to £10 or $50 or 100 Rupees......80 cents

150 Rupeca.....$1.00. Up to

-

Up to £2 or $10 or 20 Rupers......20 cents. .40 cents. Up to £5 or $25 or 50 Rupees. Up to £7 or $35 or 70 Rupees......60 cents.

126-Lists of money order offices in the United Kingdoní may be consulted at Hongkong And Shanghai.

127.-Nanies 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 bcrossed like a cheque. It can then be paid only through a bank, and my afterwards be specially crossd to any bank. No Order on India can be crossed, as, in the ease of Iudia, no document is handed to the remitter.

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 on additional commission. In case of loss of an order, neccssity 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 moths 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.

Miscellaneous Suggestions ond Regulations.

181. It is most desirable that every letter, book, or pattern- packet should bear the sender's pame and address, as well outside as inside. If overy letter were marked outside with the name over be opened under any circumstances. To sign

And address of the sender, no letter n letters merely James, or Harriet, or the

132.-Letters addressed to clubs,

roturned to the Post Office as soon as i'

of postage will be made after three mor

is very undesirable.

J

mercantile houses, &c., to be called for, should be mes evident they will not be called for. No refund Circulars, &c. for firms which are closed, and which may be sent to those who acted as their agents, shoukl not be returned to the Post Office, but destroyed. It is easy to throw them into the waste-paper ba-ket, whereas their return to the Post Office, or refusal to receive them, causes considerable trouble.

133.-Unclaimed 1 ́tters are advertised for two months (or three if for sailing ships) after which, if still unclaimed, they are returned to the country where they originatel, Dead Letters (ie. those returned from other countries to Hongkong) are returned at once to the writers, if their addresses be discoverable on the outsides. If not, they are advertised for 20 days, then opened if still unclaimed, and returned to the writers if they can be found. If not they are destroyed.

134.-The Post Office is not responsible for loss of, or injury to correspondence, even if regis- tered. (See, however, paragraph 58).

135.-No Postmaster or Agent is allowed to give any information as to correspondence passing through his hands.

136.-Sealing wax ought never to be used on the outside of correspondence unless covered with tissue paper as a means of securing the safety of the correspondence it is worthless. There is probably only one way of closing up correspondence so that it cannot be opened with- out detection, that is to use thin but tough envelopes (the thicker the envelope the easier it is to open) closed with gun over which a stamp is applied in aniline or other soluble colour, which will fly (ie., spread about) if moisture or steam be applied to it. Sealing wax in this climate laply becomes a flat cake, the impression entirely disappearing.

137.-As a general rule, only clean Mexican dollars, or other current tender, can be taken at the Post Offices and Agencies, nor can change he sapplied. At the Hongkong office, sovereigns Are taken on request and chang is generally to be had, but copper caali are not taken, nor aro Mervants allowed to pay sums of ten cents or more in copper without a note from their employers. No postal ollicer is bound to give change, or to weigh correspondence, but he ought not to refuse to do the latter unless pressed for time,

* 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.