xxviii
HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
for charging their 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 92).
89.-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 correspondence 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 corre- spondence received. Entries On Board are for unpaid correspondence dealt with by the
Marine Officer on his way up from Singapore.
Local Delivery (Hongkong).
90.-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 de- livery should be retarded by the contract mails. Correspondence for the Peak, Kowloon Point, or steamers in harbour is delivered twice daily except on Sundays.
91.-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.
92.-Circulars, Dividend Warrants, Invitations, Cards, Patterns, Bills, Almanacs, &c. for addressees in Hongkong, or the Ports of China, in batches of not less than ten of uniform size and weight, may be sent to the Post Office unstamped, the postage, at the rate of one cent each, being paid in cash or charged to the sender's account. Special accounts may be opened with non-boxholders for the delivery of considerable numbers of such articles.
93. Such covers, when addressed to places other than Hongkong or China, must be prepaid two cents each in stamps.
94.-Circulars, &c., must not exceed 2 ounces each in weight. Patterns, Almanacs, &c., must be under 4 ounces each in weight. Heavier articles are charged ordinary
rates.
95.-Envelopes containing patterns, &c., may be wholly closed if the nature of the contents be first exhibited or stated to the Postmaster General, as he may consider necessary, and approved by him. Printed Circulars may be inserted in such Pattern Packets.
96.-Addresses must be complete. That is to say, on such covers as are not address- ed to heads of houses, the addressee's residence or place of business must be added. In- completely addressed covers are returned to the sender for address.
97.-The above mentioned classes of correspondence are invariably delivered at places of business unless special arrangement is made for delivery at private houses. Such arrangements can only be made subject to the general work of the Post Office.
Rates of Postage.
98.-Rates of Postage in Hongkong, and at British Post Offices in China :-
RETURN RECEIPT POR REGISTERED
ARTICLE.
LETTERS PER OS.
POST CARDS, EACH.
BOOKS & PATTERNS PER 2 OZ.
NEWS' PRS. & PRICES CURRENT, BACH, (a.)
REGIS-
TRATION.
centa,
cents.
cents.
cents.
2
1
2
cents,
5
cents.
5
Cochin-China,
Between Hongkong Canton and Macao, } (b.)
and for local delivery,
To China, (or from China to Hongkong), ....(b.)
Corea,
Japan,
North Borneo,
"
Philippine Islands,
Siam
"
Straits Settlements,
"
Tonquin,
"
Natal and Cape Colony
To all other places
United Kingdom,..
1
CANNOT
(b.)
20
BE SENT.
10
8
(d.)
7
3
2
2
(c.)
10
NOT 18^UED,
10
5
(d.)
5
(a.) Not to exceed 4 oz. in weight, (Prices Current, 2 oz.), otherwise the rate is per 4 oz. for newspapers, and per 2
os. for other printed matter.
(b.) Prepayment is compulsory.
(c.) BEGISTRATION IN CHINA extends to Hoihow, Canton, Swatow, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai, and
Hankow only.
(2) Cannot be sent to Countries not in the Postal Union.
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