392
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE.
accounts with small deficiencies of postage, when there is no time to return a short-paid letter. This, however, is only done as an exception, when the letter cannot go on unpaid, no boxholder being allowed to make a practice of sending short-paid correspondence, or letters to be stamped. Boxholders are also allowed certain privileges as to posting local correspondence unstamped (see paragraph 124, c).
114.-As a general rule, requests to keep the letters of one individual out of the box of the firm to which he belongs or belonged cannot be complied with so long as his letters are directed to that firm. Otherwise the whole correspondence of that firm would be subject to delay.
115.-Boxholders' books are sent out for settlement on the first day of each month, and should be returned promptly. As a general rule no information can be given as to the corres- pondence charged in these accounts, where it came from, &c. There is only one way to obtain such information, and that is to file the covers of all unpaid correspondence received. Entries On Board are for unpaid correspondence dealt with by the Marine Officer on his way up from Singapore.
116.-A box cannot be jointly rented by two or more peisons or firms.
Hongkong Offi‹ `·
117.—The Hongkong Office is open from 7 A.M. till 3 P.M. on week days. Mails arriving are distributed up to 8 P.M. (Sundays, 6 P.M.)
118.-Short paid correspondence arriving by the French Mail is not dealt with till the general sorting is over. Prices current and Trade circulars arriving by that mail in consi- derable numbers are also allowed to stand over until the more important work of the mail is finished.
119.-The Money Order Office is open from 10 to 4, or 10 to 5 on French mail days. It closes at 1 on Saturdays.
120.-The Office is closed on Sundays and Public Holidays, unless there are steamers leaving, when mails are made up from 8 to 9 A.M.
121.-The following are the hours for closing the Contract Mails to Europe, &c.:-
Day before Departure-
ENGLISH MAIL.
3 P.M.-Receipt of Parcels ceases.
Day of Departure—
NOON.-Money Order Office closes.
2 P.M.-Registry of Letters ceases. Posting of all printed matter and patterns ceases. 3 P.M.-Mails closed, except for Late Letters.
3.10 P.M.-Letters may be posted with late fee of 10 cents until
33 P.M. when the Post Office closes entirely.
3.40 P.M.-Late Letters may be posted on board the packet with late fee of 10 cents until
time of departure.
Day before Departure-
FRENCH MAIL.
5 P.M.-Money Order Office closes.
Day of Departure—
7 A.M.-Post Office opens.
10 A.M.-Registry of Letters ceases. Posting of all printed matter and patterns coases. 11 A.M.-Mails closed, except for Late Letters.
11.10 A.M.-Letters may be posted with late fee of 10 cents until
11.30 A.M.- when the Post Office closes entirely.
11.40 A.M.-Late Letters may be posted on board the packet with late fee of 10 cents until time of departure. If insufficiently paid, or without Late Fee, they will not be forwarded, but will be returned from Saigon.
122.-Supplementary mails are also closed on board the American and Australian packets, The Late Fee is 10 cents. There are moveable boxes on board the British and French Packets for Shanghai and Yokohama which may be used without late fee.
123.-Correspondence can be registered for the American, Indian, Torres Straits, Shanghai, or Yokohama Contract Mails up to a quarter of an hour before the time of closing; for all private ship mails up to five minutes before.
124. Local delivery is governed by the following general rules:-
(a.) All correspondence posted before 5 P.M. on any week day for addresses in Victoria will be delivered the same day, and generally within two hours, unless the delivery should be retarded by the contract mails."
(b.) Invitations, &c., can generally be delivered within Victoria at the private houses of the addressees rather than at places of business, if a wish to that effect be expressed by the sender, otherwise no delivery is attempted at any private house (even though named in the address) when there is a place of business nearer at which delivery can be effected, nor at the Peak, Kowloon, Aberdeen, &c., nor on board ship. (c.) Boxholders who desire to send Circulars, Dividend Warrants, Invitations, Cards, &c., all of the same weight, to addresses in Hongkong, or the Ports of China,
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