Note.-All other articles not enumerated in the above list and not exceeding 10 cwt. each will be charged per measurement of 50 cubic feet, or per ton of 20 cwt., Rs. 14·40. In regard to furniture not included in the above list, proportionate charges will be made.

Between any two ports succeeding each other in the steamer's course one-half rates will be charged. Persons shipping single packages of goods will be charged full rates in any case.

Scale of Freight on Heavy Packages between any two Ports.

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SECTION 11.-POSTAL, TELEGRAPH, AND TELEPHONE

SERVICE.

[Full information on this subject is to be found in the "Ceylon Post Office Guide," obtainable from the Postmaster-General, Colombo, price 75 cents.]

THE Postal, Telegraph, and Telephone Service is highly organized. There are 7,815 miles of Telegraph wire (including Telephone Trunk and Junction lines and Railway Telegraph wires) and 13,086 miles of Telephone wire for subscribers' circuits, of which 10,470 are laid underground (excluding private estate lines), 197 Post Offices (excluding the General Post Office, which does all kinds of Postal and Telegraph business, and the Central Telegraph Office, which does only Telegraph business), 199 for money and postal orders and postal savings bank business, 171 for Telegraph business, and 65 Telephone Call Offices.

Inland Postage Rates.

The following are the rates of inland postage in Ceylon :

Letters.

(a) For a letter not exceeding 4 oz. in weight For every additional 4 oz. or part thereof

(b) For district letters not exceeding 2 oz., for each ounce or part thereof

The maximum dimensions of letters are 2 feet in length, 1 foot in

Size.

width, 1 foot in depth. Parcels must not exceed 11 lb. in weight, 3 feet 6 inches in length, or 6 feet in combined length and girth.

Letters may not measure more than 18 inches in any direction, or, if they are in the form of a roll, 30 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter. Letters may not weigh more than 4 lb. 6 oz.

Inland Insurance Arrangements.

Registered letters and registered parcels may be insured up to the value of Rs. 2,000, provided that in no case shall such value exceed the real value of the contents of the article insured.

In addition to the postage and the fee for registration, the following further fees shall be charged for insurance :—

Where the value insured does not exceed Rs. 50
Where the value insured exceeds Rs. 50, but does not

Cents.

15

25

25

The prepayment of all charges on insured articles, namely, postage, registration fees, and insurance fees, shall be compulsory. Payment in all cases shall be made by means of stamps affixed to the articles. The cover of a letter intended for insurance must be of strong paper or other substantial material securely closed and sealed at intervals not exceeding 2 inches along each fold or seam. As an additional precaution (if the contents admit of it), a thread should be passed through the cover and its contents and tied, the knot being placed under the central seal.

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A parcel intended for insurance must be securely packed and enclosed in an outer covering of cloth, canvas, or other substantial material, sealed at intervals not exceeding 3 inches along each line of sewing or join.

All the seals affixed to an insured article must be of the same kind of wax, and must bear distinct impressions of the same private device. The device must not be that of a current coin, or merely a series of straight, curved, or crossed lines.

The stamps used for prepayment of postage and other charges must not be folded over the edge of the cover, and where more stamps than one are used, they must be affixed with spaces between them. It is prohibited to affix to insured letters labels other than those belonging to postal service.

The minimum size for an insured parcel shall be 12 cubic inches.

An article intended for insurance must be presented at the window of the Post Office, with the amount for which the sender wishes it to be insured, clearly written, in words and figures, on the cover. The name and address of the sender must also be written on the cover in the lower left-hand corner, or on a separate slip of paper, to be presented with the article, should there be no room for his name and address on the cover.

Articles not properly packed, or not fully prepaid, or which do not comply with the conditions prescribed in this and in the preceding rule, will not be insured.

A receipt will be given to the person who presents an article for insurance at the Post Office window at the time when it is accepted. No insured postal article shall be delivered to the addressee unless and until he or his agent has signed a receipt for it in such form as the Postmaster-General may prescribe.

An article insured for Rs. 250 or any sum less than Rs. 250 will be delivered in the ordinary manner. An article insured for more than Rs. 250 will be delivered only at the Post Office window, intimation of arrival being sent by the Post Office to the addressee. The addressee of an insured article (or his agent) must sign in ink both the receipt and acknowledgment relating thereto, unless the outward appearance of the cover gives rise to suspicion of tampering. In such case, he should arrange to open the article at the Post Office, in the presence of the Postmaster.

Bullion, currency notes, precious stones, jewellery, and articles of gold or silver may be sent by post only in insured registered letters or parcels. If a letter or parcel presented at the Post Office window manifestly contains any such object of value, it shall not be accepted for transmission by post unless the sender insures it; and if an uninsured article manifestly containing any such object of value is found in course of transmission by post, it shall be either intercepted and returned to the sender or forwarded to destination and delivered to the addressee, subject to the payment of a fee of Re. 1. The payment of this fee shall not impose any liability on the Government.

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Explanation.-The expression articles of gold or silver" includes articles made wholly or partly of gold or silver, but not electro or other plated goods, or gold or silver lace or embroidery.

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Inland Rules as to Compensation.

There will be payable to the sender of an insured postal article compensation, not exceeding the amount for which the articles has been insured, for the loss of the postal article or its contents, or for any damage caused to it in course of transmission by post, provided that the compensation shall in no case exceed the value of the article lost or the amount of the damage caused, and provided that in the case of loss the sender furnishes full particulars of the contents of the postal article and their value; provided also that no compensation shall be payable

(a) Where there has been misdelivery arising out of incorrectness or incompleteness of the address written by the sender.

(b) Where there has been fraud on the part of the sender or the addressee.

(c) Where the insured article has been delivered to the addressee and he has signed and returned the receipt therefor.

(d) Where the sender has not given intimation of the loss within three months from the date of posting.

(e) Where the loss or damage was due to improper or insecure packing.

(f) Where there is no visible damage to the cover or seals, it being understood that the sender must so pack the letter or parcel that its contents cannot be touched without visible damage as aforesaid being caused.

The right is reserved of reinstating the contents of a packet instead of giving pecuniary compensation.

Compensation will be payable one month after the date on which intimation of loss is given by the sender to the Post Office, except when the Postmaster-General may consider that the circumstances demand the withholding of payment pending inquiry. When compensation has been paid for the loss of a postal article or its contents, the Post Office shall be entitled to retain and dispose of such postal article or its contents, should they be subsequently recovered and the compensation paid not be refunded on demand being måde.

Registered Correspondence.

Registration makes the transmission of an article more secure, as it passes through the hands of postal officers under special precautions. But the Post Office is not responsible for the loss of a registered article, or for any injury which its contents may sustain during its transmission through the post. The risk of injury is diminished by the use of registration envelopes (sold at all Post Offices).

Postal articles may be registered at any Post Office for transmission by post to any other Post Office.

In addition to the postage, a fee of 15 cents is charged for the registration of any postal article.

Prepayment of postage and registration fee is compulsory in all cases, and shall be made by means of stamps affixed to the articles.