Directory_and_Chronicle_1906 — Page 508

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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE

114.-The Poste Restante being intended solely for the accommodation of strangers and travellers who have no permanent abode in the town, letters or other postal packets for residents must not be addressed to the Post Office to be called for, nor will such letters or postal packets be kept in the Poste Restante longer than the following periods, viz.:-

Local letters are kept for 1 month International

""

2 months

Letters for steamers are kept for 3 months

sailing vessels

19

4

19

""

115.-Letters or other postal packets addressed to initials or to fictitious names or to a christian name without a surname are not taken in at the Poste Restante but are at once sent to the Returned Letter Branch for disposal.

116. All persons applying for Poste Restante letters or other postal packets must furnish the necessary and required particulars to prevent mistakes and to ensure the delivery of the same to the persons to whom they properly belong and sign the register. If the addressee does not apply for same in person the inessenger must be furnished with the required information and must have a written authority to receive them. If the applicant be a foreigner he must produce his passport or other evidence of identity.

DISPOSAL OF UNDELIVERED CORRESPONDENCE.

117. Every letter or other postal article should bear the full name and address of the sender in order to ensure its return in case of non-delivery.

118.-An undelivered local or foreign letter or post card bearing the full name and address of the sender printed or written upon the outside is returned direct to the gender. Other undelivered local letters and post cards are sent to the Returned Letter Branch where, after having been advertised, they will at the expiration of ten days be opened and returned, if possible, to the senders; if they contain neither sender's name or address, nor any enclosure of importance they will be destroyed. Letters found to contain articles of value are recorded and if returned are registered. Letters from abroad are returned unopened to the country of origin after having been advertised.

119.-Book packets and newspapers which cannot be delivered and which bear the name and address of the sender with a request for their return in case of non-delivery are returned direct to the sender on payment of a second postage, Those bearing no name nor request for return are sent to the Returned Letter Branch, where, after having been advertised, they will, at the expiration of ten days thereafter, if not pre- viously claimed and a second postage paid, be disposed of.

120.-The name and address of the sender and the request for return should be written or printed in small type at the upper left-hand corner of the packet.

121.—All unpaid undelivered letters or post cards shall be delivered to the senders only on the payment of the amount charged thereon.

ARTICLES OF VALUE.

122.-Neither money nor any other article of value ought to be sent by post except in a registered postal packet, and in the case of money by means of a Post Office Money Order or of a Postal Order duly filled up with the name of the payee. Any person who sends money or any other articles of value otherwise runs the risk of losing his property and the Post Office declines all responsibility for such and will make no enquiries into alleged losses of such letters.

CERTIFICATES OF POSTING.

123.-Contrary to general usage, the Hongkong Post Office will give a Certificate of posting for an ordinary letter, to assure the sender his correspondence has not been stolen on the way to the Post. The conditions under which such Certificate will be given are as follows:

(1.) The certificate of posting written in ink must be presented to an officer on duty at the Post Office along with the article to be posted during the hours which the Post Office is open to the public.

(2.) The certificate must contain an exact copy of the address on the article to which it relates and must have a postage stamp value one cent affixed thereto.

(3.) The officer to whom the article and certificate are presented will compare the address on the article with the certificate and if it be correct will