June 20, 1919. Parcel post convention between the United States and the Union of PARCEL-POST CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE UNION OF For the purpose of making better postal arrangements between the United States of America and the Union of South Africa the Postmaster-General of the United States of America and the Postmaster-General of the Union of South Africa, by virtue of authority vested in them, have agreed upon the following articles for the establishment of a parcel-post system of exchanges between the United States and the Union of South Africa. ARTICLE I The provisions of this Convention relate only to parcels of mail matter to be exchanged directly by the system herein provided for and do not affect the arrangements now existing under the Universal Postal Union Convention, which will continue as heretofore; and all the agreements hereinafter contained apply exclusively to mails exchanged under these Articles. ARTICLE II. 1. There shall be admitted to the mails exchanged under this Convention articles of merchandise and mail matter-except letters, post cards, and written matter-of all kinds that are admitted under any conditions to the domestic mails of the country of origin, excepting only those articles admission of which in this manner is forbidden by the laws of the country of origin or destination, due notice whereof shall be mutually given by the postal authorities of the United States and Union of South Africa, respectively; but no parcel may exceed eleven pounds in weight nor the following dimensions: Greatest length in any direction three feet six inches; greatest length and girth combined, six feet; and parcels must be so wrapped or inclosed as to permit their contents to be easily examined by postmasters and customs officers. 2. All admissible articles of merchandise mailed in one country for the other, or received in one country from the other shall be free from any detention or inspection whatever, except such as is required for collection of customs duties; and shall be forwarded by the most speedy means to their destination, being subject in their transmission to the laws and regulations of each country, respectively. ARTICLE III. 1. A letter or communication of the nature of personal correspondence must not accompany, be written on, or inclosed with any parcel. 2. If such be found, the letter will be placed in the mails if separable, and if the communication be inseparably attached, the whole 17, 1919. , package will be rejected. If, however, any such should inadvertently be forwarded, the country of destination will collect on the letter or letters double rates of postage, according to the Universal Postal Union Convention. No inclosure for 3. No parcel may contain packages intended for delivery at an other address. address other than that borne by the parcel itself. If such inclosed packages be detected, they must be sent forward singly charged with new and distinct Parcel-Post rates. ARTICLE IV. 1. The following rates of postage shall in all cases be required to be fully prepaid with postage stamps of the country of origin, viz: 2. In the United States, for a parcel not exceeding one pound in weight, twelve cents; and for each additional pound or fraction of a pound, twelve cents. Rates of postage. In United States. In Union of South 3. In the Union of South Africa, for a parcel not exceeding one Africa. pound in weight, ninepence; and for each additional pound or fraction of a pound, ninepence. 4. The parcels shall be promptly delivered to addressees at the Post Offices of address in the country of destination free of charge for postage; but the country of destination may, at its option, levy and collect from the addressee for interior service and delivery a charge the amount of which is to be fixed according to its own regulations. ARTICLE V. Delivery. Subject to the regulations of the country of origin, the sender shall Receipt of posting. at the time of mailing a parcel receive from the post office where the package is mailed a certificate of mailing on a form similar to model 1., hereto annexed, but registration is inadmissible. ARTICLE VI. Post, p. 1660. Customs declaration. 1. The sender of each parcel shall make a Customs Declaration, Post, p. 1660, pasted upon or attached to the package, upon a special Form provided for the purpose (similar to Form 2, annexed hereto), giving a general description of the parcel, an accurate statement of its contents and value, date of mailing and the sender's signature and place of residence, and place of address. 2. The parcels in question shall be subject in the country of destination to all customs duties and all customs regulations in force in that country for the protection of its customs revenues; and the customs duties properly chargeable thereon shall be collected on delivery, in accordance with the customs regulations of the country of destination. ARTICLE VII. Collection of duties. Payment by each The Post Office Department of the United States shall pay to the country. Post Office Department of the Union of South Africa two and onehalf cents per pound; that is to say, twenty-five dollars for each thousand pounds in weight of the parcels forwarded from its offices to the Union of South Africa; and the Post Office Department of the Union of South Africa shall pay a similar amount to the Post Office Department of the United States for parcels forwarded from its offices to the United States. The accounts shall be balanced every quarter and a general balance of such quarterly settlements struck yearly, which amount shall be paid by the Post Office Department of the debtor country. The necessary accounts will be rendered by the Post Office of the Union of South Africa. 44282°-VOL 41-PT 2-15 Method of transpor tation. Return of empty receptacles. Packing. Descriptive list. Post, p. 1661. Exchange offices. Receipt of mail. Substitute parcel bill. Correction of errors. rels. ARTICLE VIII. June 20, 1919. 1. The parcels shall be considered as a component part of the mails exchanged direct between the United States and the Union of South Africa, to be despatched to destination by the country of origin at its cost and by such means as it provides; but must be forwarded, at the option of the despatching office, either in boxes prepared expressly for the purpose or in ordinary mail sacks, marked "ParcelPost," and securely sealed with wax, lead or otherwise, as may be mutually provided by regulations hereunder. 2. Each country shall promptly return empty to the despatching office by next mail, all such bags and boxes. 3. Although articles admitted under this Convention will be transmitted as aforesaid between the exchange offices, they should be so carefully packed as to be safely transmitted in the open mails of either country, both in going to the exchange office in the country of origin and to the office of address in the country of destination. 4. Each despatch of a Parcel-Post mail must be accompanied by a descriptive list (forwarded in triplicate) of all the parcels sent, showing distinctly the list number of each parcel, the name of the addressee with address of destination and the declared contents and value; and must be enclosed in one of the boxes or sacks of such despatch. The list will be numbered in an annual series and will be similar to form 3 annexed hereto. ARTICLE IX. Exchanges of mails under this Convention from any place in either country to any place in the other, shall be effected through the post offices of both countries already designated as exchange post offices, or through such others as may be hereafter agreed upon, under such regulations relative to the details of the exchange as may be mutually determined to be essential to the security and expedition of the mails and the protection of the customs revenues. ARTICLE X. 1. As soon as the mail shall have reached the office of destination, that office shall check the contents of the mail. 2. In the event of the parcel bill not having been received, a substitute should be at once prepared. 3. Any errors in the entries on the parcel bill which may be discovered, should, after verification by a second officer, be corrected and noted for report to the despatching office on a form "Verification Certificate", which should be sent in a special envelope. Nonreceipt of par- 4. If a parcel advised on the bill be not received, after the nonreceipt has been verified by a second officer, the entry on the bill should be cancelled and the fact reported at once. Deficient postage. 5. If a parcel be observed to be insufficiently prepaid, it must not be taxed with deficient postage, but the circumstance must be reported on the verification certificate form. 6. Should a parcel be received in a damaged or imperfect condition, full particulars should be reported on the same form. 7. If no verification certificate or note of error be received, a parcel mail shall be considered as duly delivered, having been found on examination correct in all respects. ARTICLE XI. 1. The senders of parcels which cannot be delivered shall be consulted as to the manner in which they wish to dispose of them. If 17, 1919. April 17, 1919 20, within six months after the despatch of a letter of enquiry the office of destination shall not have received adequate instructions, the parcel shall be treated as abandoned. 2. When the contents of a parcel which cannot be delivered are liable to deterioration or corruption, they may be destroyed at once, if necessary, or if expedient, sold without previous notice or judicial formality, for the benefit of the right person; the particulars of each sale being noticed by one post office to the other. Perishable articles. Return or redirec. 3. An order for the return or re-direction of a parcel must be tion. accompanied by the amount due for postage necessary for the return of the article to the office of origin, or its redirection, at the ordinary parcel rates. Notation on parcel 4. Parcels which have to be returned to the sender shall be entered bill. on the parcel bill with the addition of the word "Undeliverable" in the column for remarks. Disposal of nonde 5. Parcels which cannot be delivered, returned to the sender or livered, etc., parcels. otherwise disposed of shall be dealt with in accordance with the regulations of the country of destination. 6. Missent parcels shall be returned to the forwarding office of exchange "On Service" without charge. ARTICLE XII. Missent articles. Nonresponsibility The Post Office Department of either of the contracting countries for loss, etc. will not be responsible for the loss or damage of any parcel, and no indemnity can consequently be claimed by the sender or addressee in either country. ARTICLE XIII. Further regulations, The Postmaster-General of the United States of America and the etc. Postmaster-General of the Union of South Africa, shall have authority jointly to make such further regulations of order and detail as may be found necessary to carry out the present Convention from time to time; and may, by agreement, prescribe conditions for the admission to the mails of any of the articles prohibited by Article II of this convention. ARTICLE XIV. This Convention shall take effect and operations thereunder shall begin on the twelfth day of April, 1919, and shall continue in force until terminated by mutual agreement but may be annulled at the desire of either Department upon six months' previous notice given to the other. Done in duplicate, and signed at Washington, the twentieth day of June 1919 and at Cape Town this seventeenth day of April, 1919. [SEAL] A. S. BURLESON Postmaster-General of the United States of America. J. WILSON Postmaster-General of the Union of South Africa. The foregoing Parcel-Post Convention between the United States of America and the Union of South Africa has been negotiated and concluded with my advice and consent, and is hereby approved and ratified. In testimony whereof, I have caused the Seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed this 9th day of July, 1919. [SEAL] By the President: FRANK L. POLK Acting Secretary of State. WASHINGTON, July 9, 1919. WOODROW WILSON Ante, p. 1656. Effect and duration. Signatures. Approval. Form 1. FORM 1. UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA-UNIE VAN ZUID-AFRIKA. June 20, 1919. DEPARTMENT OF POSTS AND Telegraphs.-Department vAN POST-EN TELEGRAAF WEZEN. Parcel Post-Pakketpost. A parcel, addressed as under, has been posted here this day.-Een pakket, met het hierondervermelde adres, is heden alhier op de post gedaan: CAUTION. In the event of the above declaration being found incorrect in any particular, the parcel will be liable to seizure. No letter may be placed in any parcel, nor may a parcel contain diamonds, specie bullion, gold (in dust or nuggets) or ostrich feathers. For other prohibited articles see the Post Office Guide. WAARSCHUWING. Indien bovenstaande verklaring in enig opzicht onjuist wordt bevonden, zal het pakket aan beslagname onderhevigzyn. Een pakket mag geen brief noch diamanten, specie, ongemunt goud, goud, (in stof of klomp) noch struísveren bevatten. Wat betreft andere verboten artikels, readplege men de postgids. Date stamp of office (For the use of post office of exchange only.) (Alleen voor gebrush door het Wisselkantoor). Parcel Bill No... No. of rates prepaid. Name and address of sender. |