Postal_Guide_September_1961 — Page 72

Miscellaneous 69

entertained for the refund of the value of postage stamps on correspondence which is discovered, after the postage stamps have been obliterated, to contain any prohibited article, or which exceeds the limit weight, or which for any other reason cannot be forwarded and has consequently to be returned to the sender, and any loss resulting from a non-observance of the rules by the sender of an article must be borne by him.

SECRECY OF THE POST

Postal officials have no discretionary powers to supply information respecting letters, or any kind of postal packet to persons other than those to whom they are addressed. They are not allowed to make public any official information of a private character.

UNPAID AND UNDERPAID INCOMING PACKETS

An unpaid or underpaid unregistered letter or other postal packet from abroad is charged on delivery with double the amount of the deficiency. Insufficiently paid packets must be either accepted and the postage due paid, or forthwith refused. Postmen are not permitted to allow a prior inspection of the contents.

VERIFICATION OF SURCHARGES

No one to whom a letter or other postal packet is tendered for delivery should pay any charge demanded in respect of unpaid postage unless a date-stamped postage due label (or labels) to the face value of the amount demanded is affixed to the cover of the packet.

Inquiries respecting surcharges should be addressed to the Postmaster General. In some cases it will suffice to enclose the cover, but if the packet was forwarded in an unsealed cover, the whole packet must be sent. The whole packet, before being opened if sealed, must also be produced if the surcharge is questioned on the ground of weight, and no question on this point can be entertained in respect of a closed packet which has been opened. If more convenient, the packet may be taken to any post office for the weight to be verified unless it was posted abroad, in which case it should be taken to General Post Office, Hong Kong.

The unit of weight for letters from countries using the metric system is 20 grammes (less than 4 ounce), and not 1 ounce as in the case of countries using the avoirdupois system; and surcharges may frequently be explained by the difference in the units of weight.