10. Precautions to protect stamps from injury by damp or vermin.
- Due precautions shall be taken by the treasurer and the officer-in-charge of the treasury or sub-treasury to protect stamps from injury by damp or vermin. They shall be kept in strong chests or presses, the sheet shall be kept face to face and sheets of rough paper placed between each pair of gummed surface, so as to obviate two sheets being stuck together on the gummed side lined or covered with tin and so closed as to exclude damp, air, mice or insects. In places where white ants are troublesome, the stamp chests or presses shall not be allowed contact with the walls of the strong room, and shall be raised from the floor, and shall rest on stone or earthen troughs containing common oil. Each chest or press shall have two locks the key of one invariably remaining in the hands of the officer-in-charge and the key of the other in the hands of the treasurer. [During the rainy season in particular, Deputy Commissioner and officer-in-charge of treasuries or sub- treasuries should satisfy themselves that adequate precautions are taken to prevent damage to the stock of adhesive stamps caused by gummed surfaces adhering to the adjacent sheets. Airtight metal boxes should be used when such are available, and if there is danger of damage to loose sheets of adhesive stamps, each pair of such sheets should be placed face to face and sheets of rough paper inserted between each pair of gummed surfaces.] [Substituted by Punjab Government Notification No. 990-St., dated 23rd December, 1940.]
