Towns > Ayr > 1873-1893 - Post office general and trades directory for Ayr, Newton, and Wallacetown > 1890-1891

40 DIRECTORY.
Large number of letters, not being circular letters, are from
time to time found in halfpenny wrappers, contrary to the express
provisions of the book post ; and, as the officers of the depart-
ment are instructed to surcharge all such letters with additional
postage, it will save not only trouble to the Post Office but annoy-
ance to the public, if care be taken always to pay letter postage
for letters other than circular letters, unless they be written or
printed on post cards.
REGISTRATION.
The fee for registering a letter, newspaper, or book packet
passing between any two places in the United Kingdom is 2d.
Compensation for loss or damage of registered letters, books,
or newspapers will be given, subject to certain regulations, as
follows : —
Where no fee, except postage and registration fee is
paid, to an amount not exceeding, - - - £5
Where, in addition to postage and registration fee,
insurance fee of 2d is paid, to an amount not
exceeding, -------- £10
Every letter, &c, , to be registered should be presented at the
counter, and a receipt obtained for it, and should on no account
be dropped into a letter box. If, contrary to this rule, a letter
marked " Registered" be dropped into a letter box, it will, " if
directed to a,ny place in the United Kingdom," be liable to a re-
gistration fee of 8d, instead of the ordinary fee of 2d.
Every article presented for registration must be enclosed in a
strong cover, securely fastened. If the article contains money,
it must, in order to gain the benefit of the guarantee, be enclosed
in a Registered Letter Envelope sold by the Post Office ; and if
coins are sent, they must on no account be put in loose, but
must be packed and enclosed in such a way as to move about as
little as possible.
All inland letters which contain coin, watches, or jewellery,
even though they be posted without registration, are treated as
registered, and are charged on delivery with a registration fee of
8d in addition to the ordinary postage ; and any such letters
which cannot be registered in time to be forwarded by the Mail
for which they are posted are detained for the next despatch.
The registration of a packet makes its transmission much more
ssecure, inasmuch as under ordinary circumstances, a registered
packet can be traced through its whole course, and thus the loss
of a registered packet is a very rare occurrence.