F.—l

53

prepare tables G for the mails exchanged. During a statistical period these mails must bear on labels the undermentioned particulars : — (a.) Net weight of letters and post-cards ; (b.) Net/weight of other articles; and (c.) Route followed or to be followed. • In a case where a mail addressed to a ship of war is redirected during a statistical period, the redirecting office informs the office of the country to which the ship belongs. XXVII. — Account of Transit Charges. 1. The tables F and G are incorporated in a special account, in which is shown, in francs and centimes, the annual amount of transit payment accruing to each office by multiplying the totals by thirteen. In case the multiplier does not correspond with the periodicity of the service, or when a question arises as to exceptional despatches made during the statistical period, the administrations concerned arrange for the adoption of another multiplier. The of preparing this account devolves upon the office to which payment is due, which transmits it to the indebted office. The multiplier agreed upon holds good on each occasion for the three years of one and the same statistical period. 2. The payment which results from balancing the reciprocal accounts between two offices is made in hard cash (francs) by the indebted office to the office to which the payment is due, by means of bills drawn upon a place in the creditor country at the option of the indebted office. The costs of payment, including the discount charges, when there happen to be any, are borne by the indebted office. 3. The preparation, transmission, and payment of the accounts of the transit charges pertaining to a particular year must be effected with as little delay as possible, and at the latest before the expiration of the first six months of the following year. In any case, if the office which has ssnt the account has not received in that interval any notes of correction, that account is regarded as duly accepted. This stipulation applies equally to uncontested observations made by one office on the accounts furnished by another. When this term of six months is passed, the amounts due from one office to another office are subject to interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, dating from the day of the expiration of the said term. The payment of transit charges for the first year in each triennial period, and at need for the second year, are made provisionally at the end of such year, on the basis of the previous statistics, subject to an eventual adjustment of the accounts in accordance with the results of the new statistics. 4. Nevertheless, the option is reserved to the offices concerned to make by common consent other arrangements than those which are set forth in the present Article. XXVIII. — Exceptions in the matter of Weight. As an exceptional measure it is agreed that States which, by reason of their internal regulations, are unable to adopt the decimal metrical system of weight, have the option of substituting for it the ounce avoirdupois (28-3465 grammes), assimilating a half-ounce to 15 grammes and 2 ounces to 50 grammes, and of raising, if needful, the limit of the single rate of postage of newspapers to 4 ounces; but under the express condition that, in the latter case, the postage on newspapers be not less than 10 centimes, and that an entire rate of postage be charged for each copy of the newspaper even though several newspapers be included in the same packet. XXlX.— Applications for Ordinary Articles lohich have failed, to reach their Destination. 1. Every application respecting an ordinary article of correspondence which has failed to reach its destination gives rise to the following procedure : — (1.) A form in conformity with the pattern U annexed hereto is handed to the applicant, who is requested to fill up as exactly as possible the portion which concerns him. (2.) The office at which the application originates transmits the form direct to the corresponding office. It is transmitted officially without any written communication. (3.) The corresponding office causes the form to be handed to the addressee or sender (as the case may be), with the request that particulars on the subject may be furnished. (4.) With these particulars added, the form is sent back officially to the office which prepared it. (5.) When the application proves to be well founded it is transmitted to the central administration, in order to serve as a basis for further investigations. (6.) In the absence of any understanding to the contrary, the form is drawn up in French or bears a French translation. 2. Any administration can demand, by notification addressed to the International Bureau, that the exchange of applications, so far as such administration is concerned, shall be effected through the medium of the central administrations or of an office specially designated. XXX.— Withdrawal of Correspondence and Correction of Addresses. 1. For requests to have correspondence returned or redirected, as well as for requests to have addresses corrected, the sender must use a form in accordance with the specimen I annexed to the present regulations. In handing this application to the post-office the sender must establish his identity and produce the certificate of posting if there be one. The administration of the country of origin assumes the responsibility in regard to identity, and after its establishment therfourse is as follows : — (1.) If the request is meant to be sent by post, the form, together with a perfect facsimile of the envelope or address of the missive, is despatched in a registered letter direct to the office of destination ;