55

F.—l

4. These coefficients are multiplied by the number of countries of each class, and the total of the products thus obtained furnishes the number of units by which the whole expense is to be divided. The quotient gives the amount of the unit of expense. 5. The countries of the Union are classified as follows, in view of the division of expenses : — Ist Class: Germany, Austria-Hungary, United States of America, France, Great Britain, British India, British Colonies of Australasia, the whole of the other British Colonies and Protectorates (except Canada), Italy, Russia, Turkey. 2nd Class : Spain. 3rd Class: Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Japan, Netherlands. Eoumania, Sweden, Spanish Colonies or Provinces beyond sea, French Colonies, Dutch East Indies. 4th Class: Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland, Portuguese Colonies. . sth Class: Argentine Bepublic, Bulgaria, Chili, Colombia, Greece, Mexico, Peru, Servia, Tunis. 6th Class : Bolivia, Costa PJica, Dominican Bepublic, Ecuador, German Protectorates, Guatemala, Hayti, Bepublic of Honduras, Luxemburg, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Persia, Salvador, Kingdom of Siam, Uruguay, Venezuela, Danish Colonies, Colony of Curacoa (or Dutch West Indies), Colony of Surinam (or Dutch Guiana). 7th Class : Congo Free State, Hawaii, Liberia, Montenegro. XXXlll.— Communications to be addressed to the International Bureau. 1. The International Bureau serves as the medium for regular notifications of a general kind concerning international relations. 2. The administrations belonging to the Union must communicate to each other specially through the medium of the International Bureau :— (1.) The particulars of the surcharges which, by virtue of Article V. of the Convention, they levy in addition to the Union rate, whether for sea-postage or for expenses of extraordinary conveyance, as well as a list of the countries in relation to which these surcharges are levied, and, if needful, the designation of the routes giving rise to the surcharges; (2.) Five complete sets of their postage-stamps; (3.) Notice whether they mean to use the option left to administrations to apply or not to apply certain general stipulations of the Convention and the present regulations. 3. Every modification adopted hereafter in regard to one or other of the three points above mentioned must be notified without delay in the same manner. 4. The International Bureau receives besides from all the administrations of the Union two copies of all the documents which they publish, whether relating to the inland service or to the international service. 5. Correspondence addressed by the administrations of the Union to the International Bureau, and vice versa, is assimilated, as regards freedom from postage, to correspondence exchanged between administrations. XXXIV. — General Statistics. 1. Every administration sends to the International Bureau at the end of the month of July in each year as complete a series as possible of Statistical returns relating to the preceding year, arranged in tables in conformity with or analogous to the patterns M and N annexed. 2. Those services in which each transaction is recorded are dealt with in periodical statements based upon the entries made. 3. All other transactions are counted, during one week at least for daily exchanges, and during four weeks for exchanges other than daily, each administration having the option of counting separately the correspondence belonging to each category. 4. To each administration is reserved the right of counting the correspondence at those periods in which the postal business approaches most nearly to the average. 5. To the International Bureau is intrusted the duty of printing and distributing the statistical forms to be filled up by each administration, and of furnishing to any administration on application all necessary information as to the rules to be followed, in order to insure as far as possible uniformity of practice in taking the statistics. XXXV.— Duties of the International Bureau. 1. The International Bureau prepares general statistics for each year. 2. It publishes, by the aid of the documents which are put at its disposal, a special journal in the German, English, and French languages. 3. All the documents published by the International Bureau are distributed to the administrations of the Union, in the proportion of the number of contributing units assigned to each by the foregoing Article XXXII. 4. Any additional copies and documents which may be applied for by these administrations are paid for separately at prime cost. 5. The International Bureau must, moreover, hold itself always at the disposal of the members of the Union for the purpose of furnishing them with any special information they may require upon questions relating to the international postal service. 6. The International Bureau makes known demands for the modification or interpretation of the stipulations which regulate the Union. It notifies the results of each application, aad no modification or resolution adopted is binding until two months at least after its notification. 7. The International Bureau effects the balance and liquidation of accounts of every description between the administrations of the Union which declare their wish to use that bureau as a medium under the conditions laid down by Article XXXVI. following. 8. The International Bureau prepares the business to be submitted to Congresses or conferences. It undertakes the necessary copying and printing, the editing and distribution of amendments, minutes of proceedings, and other information. B—F. 1.