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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE
Consigners Letters.
60.—Consignees' letters, being privileged by law, need not be sent to the Post Office at all, but if they are sent they are liable to ordinary rates of postage.
61. In the event of an unpaid letter becoming a dead letter, the sender is liable, according to international rules, to pay the deficient postage and the fine.
Soldiers and Sailors Letters,
62.- Privates in H. M. Army or Nayy, Non-commissioned Officers. Bandmasters, School-masters (not Superintending or First Class), Writers, or School-mistresses may send HALF-OUNCE letters to the United Kingdom by the English Mail at the rate of two cents each, or by the French Mail at the rate of four cents each. The postage must be prepaid in Hongkong stamps.
63.--To other places not beyond Great Britain, such as India, Malta, &c., the postage is 2 cents.
64. The same privileges apply to letters addressed to the Privates and Non- commissioned Officers named above.
65. The letters must not exceed half an ounce. No handkerchiefs, jewellery, &c., can be sent, even with the ends open.
66.-If from a Soldier or Sailor his class and description must be stated in full on the letter, the cover of which must be signed by the Commanding Officer, with name of regiment, ship, &c., in full. If to a Soldier or Sailor, his class and description, with name of regiment, ship, &c., must be stated in full.
67.—Soldiers and Sailors have no privileges with regard to books, papers, or parcels.
NEWSPAPERS.
68. A newspaper is a printed paper containing news, It must not exceed two ounces in weight, or it is liable to an additional rate of postage. It may be prepaid as
■ book at the option of the sender. The Union rate of postage is 2 cents each.
69.--A bundle of newspapers may be prepaid at so much each (and each one must count, however small), or the whole may be paid at book rate.
70.-Two newspapers must not be folded together as one, nor must anything whaterer be inserted except bond ride supplements of the same paper and same date. Printed matter may, however, be enclosed if the whole be paid at book rate.
71-A newspaper must be open at the ends. If it contain any written communica tion whatever it will be charged as a letter. It should be folded with the title outwards BOOKS.
72.-Books are charged at so much per two ounces The Union rate is 2 cents. 73.—The term “books "includes almost all kinds of printed or written matter not of the nature of an actual or personal correspondence, with whatever is necessary for its illustration or safe transmission, as maps, rollers, binding, &c., but a book must contain no 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.
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74.-A book may contain an inscription presenting it, notes or marks referring to the text, or such writing as. With the author's compliments, &c.
75.-The packet must be open at the ends, and the contents visible, or easily to be rendered visible. Packets which are sealed are treated as letters even though the ends may be open, also packets forwarded in closed covers with the corners cut off or with notched ends, as they are not open to inspection. Packets may be tied with string to protect the contents, but in such a way that the string can be easily untied. (See also par. 80.)
76.—The weight of a book packet is limited as follows :
To British Offices 5 lbs.
To other Offices 4 lbs.
77.-Book packets for non-British offices must not exceed 18 inches measurement in any one direction, but such objects as maps, pictures, plans, photographs, &c., if made up into rolls of no great thickness and not exceeding 31 inches in length, may be so forwarded to any country.
COMMERCIAL PAPERS.
78.—The distinction between Books and Commercial Papers (papiers d'affaires) is, that whilst Book Packets are to consist of printed matter, Commercial Papers are wholly or partly written by hand. They must not be of the nature of an actual or personal correspondence.
79.-Commercial Papers are such papers as the following:-printers' copy, authors' manuscript; press copies of any documents not letters; law papers; deeds; bills of lading; invoices; insurance papers; copied music; &c. The rate is the same
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