Directory_and_Chronicle_1916 — Page 565

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HONGKONG POSTAL GUIDE

79.-- A packet of patterns or samples sent to the United Kingdom or any British colony or possession or non-Union country must not exceed 2 feet in length by 1 foot in width or depth, but to any foreign place comprised in the Postal Union a packet must not exceed 12 inches in length, 8 in width, or 4 in depth, unless it be in the form of a roll, in which case the limit of size is 12 inches in length and 6 inches in diameter.

80.-Packets of samples, when they do not accord with the regulations, are returned to the senders.

81. Samples of merchandise must not possess any saleable value, nor bear any writ- ing or printing on or in the packet, except the name of the sender or that of his firm, the address of the addressee, a manufacturer's trade mark, numbers, prices, and indi- cations relative to weight or size, or to the quantity to be disposed of, or such as are necessary to determine the origin and the nature of the goods.

82.-Type samples of unmanufactured tobacco are admitted by post into the United Kingdom provided that such samples are sent for trade purposes, that they do not exceed 4 ounces in gross weight, and that they comply with the general regulations of Sample Post. Upon the delivery of such samples there is levied from the addressee a charge of 1/- for Customs duty.

$3.-Liquids, oils and fatty substances easily liquified must be enclosed in glass bottles hermetically sealed. Each bottle must be placed in a wooden box adequately furnished with sawdust, cotton, or spongy material in sufficient quantity to absorb the liquid in case the bottle be broken, and the box itself must be enclosed in a case of metal, of wood with a screw-top, or of strong and thick leather. Deleterious liquids or substances and explosives are absolutely prohibited.

84.-Fatty substances which are not easily liquified, such as ointments, soft soap, resin, etc., must be placed in an inner cover (box, linen bag, parchments, etc.), which itself must be placed in a second box of wood, metal, or strong and thick leather.

85.-Articles of glass must be securely packed (boxes of metal, wood, leather, or card- board) in a way to prevent all danger to the correspondence and postal officers.

86.-Dry powders, whether dyes or not, must be placed in cardboard boxes, which themselves are enclosed in a bag of linen or parchment.

87.-Packets of patterns and samples must be so packed as to admit of easy inspection; any such found to be insecurely packed will be stopped.

88.-Such articles as scissors, knives, razors, forks, steel pens, nails, keys, watch machinery, metal tubing, pieces of metal or ore, provided that they are bond-fide samples and are packed and guarded in so secure a manner as to afford complete protection to the contents of the mail bag and to the officers of the Post Office, while at the same time they may be easily examined, may be sent by the Sample Post to places abroad. Explosives are absolutely prohibited.

89. No article liable to Customs duty can be sent as a pattern or sample.

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90. The transmission by Letter Post of coin, gold, silver, precious stones, jewellery, etc., is prohibited in those countries of the Postal Union marked thus in Appendix I. Such articles may, however, be sent by Parcel Post except in cases in which they are specially prohibited (see Appendix III).

91. The following restrictions and requirements apply to the undermentioned countries of the Postal Union, viz. :—

(a) In Luxemburg the registration of such packets is compulsory, and every-

thing of value, except coin or bullion, is liable to duty.

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(b) In the undermentioned Colonies, viz.: Falkland Islands, Gambia, Gibraltar, Hongkong, Labuan, Lagos, Malta, Montserrat, Newfoundland, St. Vincent, Sierra Leone, and Straits Settlements, articles of value are transmissible, and, with the exception of jewellery addressed to Newfoundland and St. Vincent, are exempt from Customs duty. Their transmission is also permitted in Bermuda and Cyprus, but they are liable to Customs duty, with the exception of bullion, coin and diamonds in Bermuda; gold, bullion and specie in Cyprus; gold, silver and diamonds in Grenada.

(c) In France engravings, prints, drawings and chromo-lithographs are liable to Customs Duty, and cannot be sent by post to that country in quanti- ties sufficiently large to have a saleable value, but small quantities can be sent as bona fide specimens.

(d) In the Dutch East Indies articles of value are admissible, except wrought

gold and silver, but the packets containing them must be registered. (e) Special prohibitions in Bulgaria, the Cape of Good Hope Dutch East Indies, Italy, Norway, Queensland, Servia, Transvaal and United States of