Directory_and_Chronicle_1916 — Page 561

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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE

22.—In addition to stamps for prepayment, post-cards may bear gummed label not exceeding 2 cm. by 5 cm. ( in. by 2 in.) showing the name and address of the sender and of the addressee; and engravings and photographs may be affixed to the back and left-hand half of the address side provided they are completely adherent.

23.-Cards bearing the title "Post-card" or its equivalent are admitted at the rate for printed matter provided that they conform to the general regulations respecting. printed papers. If they do not conform either to these regulations or to the rules, applicable to post-cards, they are treated as letters.

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24.-A Post-card must not be folded, cut, or otherwise altered, nor may it be enclosed in a cover of any kind. ·

Mails

25. The dates and hours of closing all mails in the General Post Office are: published twice daily in a special Mail Notice, except on Sundays and Holidays.

26. This information is also given on the Mail Notice Board in front of the Office; in case of doubt this should be consulted, as notifications of sailings, etc., are often. received too late for insertion in a mail notice.

27.-Inward mails are advertised as above whenever practicable.

28.-The usual time for closing a mail is one hour before the steamer is advertised to sail. Letters prepaid with 10 cents in addition to the postage will, if handed over the counter, be received after the advertised time of closing the mail until the mail has actually left the office.

29.-A special mail is closed on board the Canton steamer up to ten minutes before. her departure.

30.-Registered mails are closed a quarter of an hour before the ordinary mails, except in the case of contract packets for Europe and America, when the period is three-quarters of an hour.

31.-Letters and Post-cards to Europe are sent via Siberia unless marked to the contrary. Printed matter is sent vid Suez unless prepaid at letter rate. Only fully prepaid mail matter can be sent via Siberia.

32. Correspondence marked "vid Siberia" or "vid Marseilles" will be kept for the route indicated even though this may involve a fortnight's detention. The safest direction is “By first mail".

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34.-Correspondence specially directed for any particular steamer is sent by her (failing any request to the contrary), however many times her departure may be postponed. If it is postponed sine die the correspondence is sent on by the next opportunity.

35.-Relates to Official franking of letters in Hongkong.

Letters

36. No letter may exceed 2 feet in length, 1 foot in width or 1 foot in depth, unless it be sent to or from a Government Office.

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37.—Addresses should be as complete as possible in order to facilitate delivery. In order that, in the event of the letter becoming from any cause undeliverable, it inay returned to the writer unopened, it is recommended that the sender's name and address be also superscribed on the cover.

38.-The general rule as to insufficiently paid letters is to double the deficient postage. Nothing can be sent wholly unpaid except Letters and Post Cards.

39. 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.

40.--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.

Newspapers

41.-Newspapers should be so folded and covered (if posted in a cover) as to permit the title to be easily inspected. Newspapers must be open at both ends.

42.-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.

43.-Two newspapers must not be folded together as one, nor must anything whatever be inserted except bond-fide supplements of the same paper and same date. Printed matter may, however, be enclosed if the whole be paid at book rate.

44.-A newspaper or a packet of newspapers posted insufficiently paid will on delivery be charged with double the deficiency. Unpaid newspapers cannot be forwarded.

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