Directory_and_Chronicle_1911 — Page 522

HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE

329

127. No information can be given respecting letters or any other postal packets except to the persons to whom they are addressed, and in no other way is official information of a private character allowed to be made public.

128,-Circulars should be tied in bundles, with all the addresses in one direction, and should be posted as early as possible before the hour fixed for closing, so as to secure due despatch.

129.--The Post Office is not legally liable for any loss or inconvenience which may arise from the damage, delay, non-delivery, mis-sending, or mis-delivery of any letter or other postal packet, but liability for actual loss or damage is accepted on certain condi- tions in the case of parcels and registered packets.

130. All complaints in Hongkong should be addressed to the Postmaster General, Hongkong, and if Marked "On Postal Business," will be forwarded free. The cover of any correspondence about which complaint is made should if possible be for- warded with such complaint. When correspondence has been mis-sent or delayed (both of which are liable to happen occasionally), all that the complainant need do is to write on the cover, Sent to.... or Delivered at ...... or Not received till the...... instant, or as the case may be, and forward it, without any note or letter whatever, to the Post- master General. Attention to this would save much writing and endless trouble

130A.-The importation into Hongkong through the Post Office of any lottery ticket or advertisement of any lottery, or of any letter, post card or circular concerning any lottery, is prohibited. The Postmaster General may seize all such lottery tickets and letters, post cards or circulars concerning a lottery and cause the same to be returned to the Post Office at which they were mailed.

130B.-The Postmaster General may seize all seditious publications and cause the same to be returned to the Post Office at which they were mailed.

130c.-Nothing sent through the post may contain an enclosure which is directed to a name and an address different from the name and address borne on the cover, and which is enclosed with the intention of evading postage. Any such forbidden enclosure if observed is liable to be taken out and forwarded to the addressee charged with separate postage at the prepaid rate.

LOCAL MONEY ORDERS AND POSTAL NOTES

131.-The hours of business at the General Post Office, Hongkong, daily, excepting Saturdays, are from 10 a.m. to 4 pm,; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. On the working day next before the English and French contract mails for Europe leaving at noon, the Office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Money orders for the Straits, India and Europe are not issued before noon on days when the contract mail for Europo leaves at that hour. Postal notes, however, can be obtained.

132.-Single Money Orders are issued at the General Post Office, Hongkong, and a the British Post Office, Shanghai, at the current rates of exchange for any sum not ex ceeding $400.

133.-Money Orders are paid at the above-named offices and at the several British Postal Agencies in China.

134.-Applications for Money Orders must be made on the printed forms provided for the purpose at the Money Order Offices. The full name and address of both appli- cant and payee should always be given.

135.-Parties procuring Money Orders should examine them carefully to see that they are properly filled up and stamped.

136.--When a Money Order is presented for payment at the office upon which it is drawn, the Postmaster will use all proper means to assure himself that the applicant is the person named and intended in the advice, and upon payment of the order care must be taken to obtain the signature of the payee or of the person authorized by him to receive payment to the receipt on the face of the order

137. When a Money Order has been lost by either remitter or payee a duplicato thereof will be issued by the paying office on payment of a second commission; and when a remitter desires to correct any error in an order obtained by him such correc- tion may be made on payment of a second commission. Application for either of the above purposes should be made in writing to the Postmaster-General.

138.---The remitter of a local order may request at the time of issue or subsequently that the order be crossed like a cheque, thus " & Co.," in order that it may be paid only through a bank.