Towns > Aberdeen > 1858-1912 - Post Office Aberdeen directory > 1884-1885

POSTAL DIRECTORY.
71
Parcels which bear on the outside any writing or drawing of an indecent or
offensive nature, or within which any contents of a like nature may be
observed, and parcels containing gunpowder, cartridges, lucifer matches or
anything explosive or liable to sudden combustion, bladders containing liquid,
live animals, grossly offensive or filthy matter, and anything in a condition
likely to injure other parcels, or any officer of the Post Office, are prohibited.
If any such parcel be tendered for posting, it is refused, or, if detected in
transit, it is detained.
Parcels containing fish, game, meat, eggs, &c, or razors, scissors, needles,
knives, forks, or other sharp instruments, are not accepted unless securely
packed so as to guard against risk of injury to other parcels. Liquids or
semi-liquids, such as jellies, pickles, paint, varnish, &c, are not accepted
unless in bottles or cans securely stoppered ; nor powders, unless so packed
that they cannot escape in transmission. Bottles or glass in any form can
be accepted only when so packed as to be secure from breakage. . If a parcel
be tendered in a damaged or insecure condition, or in a condition likely to
injure other parcels or any officer of the Post Office, it is refused. If a parcel
in such condition is observed in transit it is, if possible, made secure and sent
forward : but, if it cannot be so secured, it is detained.
Parcels known to contain a letter, packet, or parcel intended for delivery at
an address other than that borne on the parcel itself are prohibited.
Parcels addressed to a Post Office to be called for, or to a person residing
beyond the free postal delivery, are kept three weeks. At the end of one
week, if the parcel bears on the outside the sender's name and address, a
notice of the fact that the parcel has not been delivered is sent to him.
Parcels addressed to a ship are kept one month.
If, however such a parcel contains perishable matter it is kept only 48
hours ; and should it become offensive, it may be disposed of at any time as
the Postmaster General may direct.
Parcels addressed to a Post Office "to be called for," and only such parcels,
are liable to a demurrage charge at the rate of Id. a day after they have re-
mained in the Office one clear day, counting as a day the period during
which the Office is ordinarily open to the public.
No demurrage is charged on parcels addressed to persons residing outside
the limits of the free delivery, or to persons on board ship.
In order to facilitate the return of parcels which cannot be delivered, it is
most desirable that the name and address of the sender should appear on the
outside of every parcel.
REGISTRATION— (Inland and Foreign).
The fee for registering a letter, newspaper, or book-packet, passing by post
between any two places in the United Kingdom is twopence.
The fee chargeable for registration to places abroad will be found in the
column headed " Registration Pee," in the Table of Colonial and Foreign
postage, Post Office Guide. To some countries, as shown in that Table, an
article can be registered only to the port of arrival : it being left, in those
cases, to the postal authorities of the country to which that port belongs to
continue the registration or not as they may think proper. To a few
countries, as also shown in the Table, there is no arrangement whatever for
registration.
No letter or other postal packet addressed to initials or to a fictitious name
can be registered ; nor can any letter be accepted for registration, unless the
enclosure can be securely placed so as not to move about, and be covered by a
proper and well fastened envelope.
Registered letters, &c. , must be prepaid as regards both postage and regis-
tration fee ; except official letters for Government Offices in London, Dublin,
or Edinburgh, which may be registered on prepayment, in stamps, of the
registration fee only.
Every letter to be registered, must be given to an Agent of the Post-Office
and a receipt obtained for it, and should on no account be dropped into the
letter-box. If, contrary to this rule, a letter mai'ked " Registered " be dropped
into the letter-box, it will, if directed to any place in the United Kingdom be
liable to a registration fee of 8d. instead of the ordinary fee of 2d.
By law the Postmaster General is not responsible for the safe delivery of
registered articles, but henceforth he will be prepared to make good the con-