Postal Manual Vol. VIII - India Post

should also satisfy himself that the hours of clearance have been properly fixed and that the
moveable plates showing hour or date or day of next clearance are systematically used.
232.- Test letters.-(1) When complaints are received at the loss of unregistered articles,
specially when the articles are alleged to have contained valuable property, and it is impossible to
say where the loss actually, occurred, the Superintendent will often find it useful to post test letters
(M.-29) with the object of tracing the offenders. As a rule, the Superintendent should secure the
cooperation of other trustworthy officials to guarantee the posting of the test letter, and to watch its
course, through intermediate offices or sections to the office of delivery.
(2) Test letters should also be posted to ascertain whether station bundles are invariably
prepared whenever the number of articles for any one place exceeds the prescribed minimum.
Superintendents of Post Offices
233. Test on delivery work.- (1) The Superintendent should frequently apply tests to the
delivery work of the postmen. The following tests will often be found useful:-
(a)
(b)
Letters bearing fictitious address should be posted and measures adopted to secure their
reaching, in the ordinary course, the hands of a postman whom it is intended to test. If these
letters are not brought back as undeliverable, there will be a strong presumption that the
postman has made away with them.
The Superintendent may arrange that letters addressed to actual residents are specially
noted before they are handed to the postman, and subsequent enquiries made of the
addressees will show whether the letters are duly delivered or not.
(2) If the Superintendent has reason to suspect any particular postman ofneglect of duty in
regard to the delivery of letters, one or both of the above tests should be applied; and when
actual dishonesty, such as the misappropriation of the contents of letters, is also suspected,
some valuable enclosure (marked for identification) should be placed in the test cover.
TOURS AND INSPECTIONS
All Superintendents
234. Visits to offices in course of tours.- When on tour the Superintendent should pay
unexpected visits to post offices, or, in R.M.S. divisions, to mail offices at places through which he
travels and satisfy himself in a general way that the cash and stamp balances of the offices are
correct, that work is being properly conducted, that the arrangements for the transaction of
business with the public are satisfactory, that the officials perform their duties properly, that the
office is kept neat and tidy and that all current notices are exhibited on and obsolete notices
removed from the notice-board. Opportunity should be taken to settle any pending cases connected
with the office by personal enquiries on the spot. No special halt or journey need be made for this
purpose unless serious malpractices requiring a thorough personal investigation come to notice.
The result of the visit should be recorded in the order book of the office and in the
Superintendent’s diary.
NOTE 1.- In examining the stamp balances of the office, Superintendent should also satisfy himself
that the balance of stamp advances with counter-clerks and stamp vendors is correct that the stamps found
with vendors are in good condition and genuine that the Postmaster or any other official to whom this work
id delegated, is verifying the stamps advances and recording in the Error Book of the office the result of the
surprise checks laid down in Sub Rules (4) & (5) of the rule 45 of the P&T Manual Volume VI.
report.
NOTE 2.- Officers visiting a Railway Mail Service van or Mail Office should sign on the Daily