A Short Introduction To The Philately Of Palestine

Postmaster General: Postal Guide 1948

REGISTRATION

Any letter, parcel or other postal packet may be registered.

The fee for registration is 15 mils. This fee is charged primarily for the clerical services incidental to registration, but it covers also, subject to certain conditions (see pages 30 and 31), compensation for loss or damage not exceeding £P2.*

Instructions for Registering

Anything intended for registration must be handed to an officer of the post office, and a certificate of posting, bearing an acknowledgment that the fee for registration and compensation has been paid, must be obtained. Nothing intended for registration should be dropped into a letter box, and anything so posted bearing the word "Registered," or any other word, phrase, or mark to the like effect (e.g., any abbreviation of the word "Registered," the letter "R," or a rectangular cross), will be compulsorily registered (see page 29).

A postal packet of any kind intended for registration must be made up in a reasonably strong cover appropriate to its contents. Letters and parcels must be fastened with wax, gum, or other adhesive matter; it is not sufficient merely to tie them with string, but, if string is used in addition to the fastening specified above, the string need not be sealed also. Packets or parcels of a suitable type will, however, be accepted if securely tied with string which is sealed with wax or the ends of which are secured by means of a lead or steel seal crushed with a press. Whatever method of fastening or sealing be adopted, it is essential that it should not be possible to remove any part of the contents of the letter or parcel without either breaking or tearing the case, wrapper or cover, forcing two adhesive surfaces apart, or breaking seals. If a letter or parcel is fastened by means of strips of adhesive paper or tape, each strip must bear stamped or printed on it some mark or word distinctive of the sender, such as his initials or name, or must be signed or initialled by him or the person who tenders the packet for registration.

The instructions respecting fastening and sealing do not, of course, apply to postcards or to printed paper, sample and newspaper packets, which must be open for inspection whether registered or not.

SPECIAL MARKING

When a registered letter envelope sold by the post office is not used, the sender should mark the packet in the bottom left-hand corner with the word Registered. The fee must be paid by postage stamps affixed to the cover.

ADVICE OF DELIVERY OF REGISTERED POSTAL PACKETS

The sender of any registered postal packet may arrange at the office of posting, either at the time of posting or subsequently, for an advice of its delivery to be sent to him. The fee is 15 mils, which is payable by means of stamps affixed by the sender to a form provided for the purpose, and is due even if the registered packet proves to be (or to have been) undeliverable.

Enquiry as to the alleged loss or non-delivery of a registered packet must also be accompanied by a fee of 15 mils, and should be made upon the special enquiry form which can be obtained at any post office or postal agency. If it is found that the post office is in fault the enquiry fee will be refunded.

COMPULSORY REGISTRATION

Packets which contain coin or jewellery and also all packets hearing the word Registered, or any other word, phrase, or mark to the like effect, for example, any abbreviation of the word Registered, the letter "R", or a rectangular cross and which are posted otherwise than in accordance with the regulation, are subjected to compulsory registration, and are charged on delivery with a registration fee of 30 mils, less any amount prepaid in excess of the postage.

Any packet which is found open in the post, or cannot be delivered, and which is found to contain an uncrossed postal order in which the name of the payee has not been inserted, a cheque or dividend warrant not crossed or made payable to order, a bank note, currency note, postage stamps, or any article, other than coin or jewellery, of a value in each case of 500 mils or over, will be subject to registration, and be chargeable with a registration fee of 15 mils.

No compensation is given in respect of any postal packet which has been compulsorily registered.

Postmaster General: Postal Guide 1948

CERTIFICATE OF POSTING - UNREGISTERED CORRESPONDENCE

A certificate of posting may be obtained in respect of any postal article and Inland Parcels for which an official receipt is not given by the post office, subject to the following conditions:

1. The certificate of posting which may be on a slip of paper or in a book, written in ink or indelible pencil, must be presented to an officer on duty at the post office, together with the article to be posted, during the hours the office is open for public business and at least half an hour before the hour for closing the mail for which the packet is intended.

2. The certificate must contain an exact copy of the address on the article to which it relates, and must have a 5 mils stamp affixed thereto.

3. The officer on duty will compare the address of the article with the certificate and, if it be correct, will obliterate the postage stamp and impress the date-stamp upon the certificate. The certificate will then be initialled by the officer and returned to the person who presented it.

The object in granting certificates of posting is to afford the public an assurance that letters and other articles entrusted to servants or messengers for posting have usually been posted.

A postal article in respect of which a certificate of posting is issued will not be registered nor will it be checked in the post, but will be treated as if it had been posted in a letter box. In the event of loss, damage, or delay, the certificate will confer no title to compensation. Such certificate will not be deemed to furnish a proof of the nature of the contents of the postal article to which it relates.

Postmaster General: Postal Guide 1948

INSURANCE

All post offices accept and deliver insured letters and parcels, but postal agencies do not transact insured business. Insured articles addressed to places not transacting insurance can only be insured to the nearest post office which transacts such business.

With the exception that insured boxes are not admitted, the regulations applicable to the Foreign service are also applicable to the inland service.