Postal_Guide_1939 — Page 88

IMPERIAL AND FOREIGN POST

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1. Any packet which has been lost through à cause beyond control, generally speaking, where no question of negligence arises;

2. Any

Any packet which the Post Office cannot account for in consequence of the loss of "official documents through a cause beyond control;

3. Any packet containing a prohibited articlė; and 4. Any packet in respect of which a claim is not made within a year of the date of posting.

Subject to the same conditions, which are prescribed by the Postal Union Convention, the Postal Adminis- trations of all countries included in the Postal Union accept responsibility in respect of registered letters or packets lost whilst in their custody.

Under International Regulations, compensation is not paid for the loss or damage of the contents of a registered packet as distinct from the loss of the entire packet; and if it is desired to obtain compensation in the case of damage or loss of the contents of a letter, or to provide for a higher maximum than $50, the insurance service should be used.

The Post Office is not legally liable to pay compen- sation in respect of any packet for which a registration fee has been paid. The final decision upon the question of payment rests with the Postal Administration of the country in which the loss has taken place.

Reply Coupons

GENERAL.

Reply coupons are exchangeable in any country of the Postal Union, for a stamp or stamps, representing the postage on a single rate letter from that country, and thus enable the sender to prepay a reply, to his letter. The Postmaster General reserves the right to demand, that the reply coupons and the correspondence to be prepaid by means of the stamps received in exchange for these coupons, shall be presented at the same time.

They are sold at the General Post Office, Hong Kong, and at the Central Post Office, Kowloon; and coupons received from other countries may be exchanged for postage stamps at these two offices only.