Towns > Edinburgh > 1846-1975 - Post Office Edinburgh and Leith directory > 1896-1897

834
POSTAL DIEECTORY— RATES.
packet is a very rare occurrence. Nevertheless,
large sums of money or other articles of great
value should not be sent through the post, as
the machinery of the department is not arranged
with a view to such transmissions. If sent
unregistered, valuable articles are exposed to
risk.
INLAND EEGISTRATION AND COM-
PENSATION.
The Postmaster - General will (not in conse-
quence of any legal liability, but voluntarily, and
as an act of grace), subject to the rules for the
time being, give compensation up to a maximum
limit of £50 for the loss and damage of Inland
Eegistered Postal Packets of all kinds upon pre-
payment of a fee in addition to the postage.
This fee either consists of or includes in each
case the ordinary registration fee of 2d. ; and the
scale of fees, and the respective limits of com-
pensation are as follow : —
Registration Fee.
2d.
Sd.
4d.
5d.
■
6d. 7d.
8d
9d.
lOd.
lid.
Limit of Com-
pensation.
£
5
10
£
15
£
20
£ £
25 30
£
35
£
40
£
45
£
50
EULES.
Posting and Packing.
The postal packet must be posted in accordance
with the rules for the time being, and a certificate
of posting, bearing thereon an acknowledgment
that the fee for registration and compensation
has been paid, must be obtained.
The contents of the postal packet must be
packed and enclosed in a reasonably strong case,
wi'apper, or cover, and if it be desired to secure
compensation for damage to a postal packet
(other than a parcel), such postal packet must
bear the words ' Fragile, with Care,' on the face
of the cover above the address.
The packet must be marked with the word
' Eegistered,' and with the amount of the fee
proper to the value up to which the sender desires
to secure compensation, thus: —
Eegistered, 2d. ; Eegistered, 3d.; and so on.
The registered Parcel Post will be available for
watches and jewellery. Money may also be sent
in a registered parcel, but no compensation will
be given in respect of the loss or damage of such
parcel or of any of its contents.
General Conditions.
No compensation either for loss or damage will
be given in respect of a postal packet containing
any article which may not under the regulations
in force for the time being be lawfully sent by the
post by which it is in fact sent; or a packet (other
than a letter) containing any money ; or a letter
containing any money, unless it be enclosed in a
registered letter envelope provided by the Post-
master-General, and —
(a) If containing coin, unless the coins are
packed and enclosed in such a way as to move
about as little as possible.
(6) If containing any bank note, unless the
name of the bank of issue, and number and
amount, and (where necessary) the date of the
note be supplied to the Postmaster-General
when required.
i
(c) If containing any postal order, unless th<l
amount and number of such order be supplieci
to the Postmaster-General when required.
(d) If containing any bill of exchange, bond*
coupon, or other order or authority for th«i
payment of money or security for money
unless particulars sufficient to identify th«!
document be supplied to the Postmaster-
General when required. !
The compensation given in respect of the log
or damage of coin shall not in the case of an
letter exceed the sum of £2 whatever be tl i
amount of coin contained in such letter.
No compensation "will be given in respect (
damage to a postal packet containing eggs, so;
fruit, or any liquid or semi-liquid ; or containin
any article of an exceptionally fragile characte:
or any other article which from its nature cann
with reasonable safety be sent by post ; or co
taining a perishable article where the dama;
arises from natural decay, ami the postal packet is
delivered without undue delay ; or (other than
a parcel) which is not marked ' Fragile, with!
Care.'
But in all such cases compensation will be given
for the loss of the postal packet or of any article
contained therein.
Where a postal packet (other than a parcel) is
marked 'Fragile, with Care,' the Postmaster-
General reserves the right to select for such
postal packet a route on which postal packets are
neither received by nor delivered from trains in
motion.
In every case it must appear that the loss or
damage did not arise wholly or in part by the fault
of the sender, and that it occurred while the postal
packet was in the post.
The compensation given will in no case exceed
the value of the article lost or the damage sus-
tained.
Compensation for damage will be strictly in
accordance with the fee paid and the amount of
damage done, no matter what the original total
value of the contents may have been.
The Postmaster-General will in every case either
of loss or damage, if he thinks fit, reinstate the
contents of a postal packet instead of giving
pecuniary compensation.
Where compensation is given for the loss of a
postal packet, or of any article contained in a
postal packet, the Postmaster-General will reserve
the right to retain and dispose as he thinks fit of
the postal packet or of the missing article, in case
it should subsequently come into his harids.
In no case will the Postmaster-General givi
compensation for injury or damage consequenti
upon the loss, damage, or delay of a postal packel
or any article contained therein.
Without prejudice to any of the preceding rules'
the Postmaster-General will, if he thinks fit, refuse
to give compensation for loss or damage on any
ground on which a common carrier might in like
case claim exemption from legal liability.
Claims for Compensation.
Every application for compensation should be
made within seven days after the date on which
the postal packet was posted, and the certificate of
posting should be produced when required.
Where the application relates to the damage of
the packet, or to the damage or loss of any article
contained therein, the packet should be retaineii
for inspection as nearly as possible in the state iH
which it was delivered. When the complaint m\
that the contents have been abstracted, the envelop©
must accompany the application.