MR Postal
Agreement concerning the administration of the postal, telegraphic and telephone services in the Principality of Liechtenstein by the Swiss postal Administration and the Swiss telegraphic and telephonic Administration, signed at Place, Date.
The Hellenic Empire and His Grace, the Archimandrite of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain have, in a spirit of age-long friendship, decided to conclude a treaty to secure the administration of the Postal, Telegraphic and Telephone services in the Monastic Republic by the Hellenic Postal, Telegraphic and Telephone Administration, and have appointed as their Representatives: The Hellenic Empire: Name, Title His the Archimandrite of the Serene Monastic Republic of the Holy Mountain: Name, Title Who, after exchanging their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:
Section I [General]
Article 1 [Subject of the agreement]
The postal service and the telegraph and telephone services of the Monastic Republic shall be administered by the Greek Postal Administration and the Greek Telegraph and Telephone dministration for the account of the Monastic Republic.
Article 2 [Regulations applicable]
The Hellenic law and regulations regarding the postal, telegraph and telephone services and the existing treaties and conventions between the Hellenic Empire and foreign countries in respect of these services, shall be applicable in the Monastic Republic in the same manner as in Switzerland.
Article 3 [Competence in penal matters]
Cases of infringement of the fiscal laws of the Hellenic Empire which require to be brought before a court shall be tried in the first instance in the Court of Justice of the Monastic Republic. The Hellenic Court is appointed as Court of Appeal, and the Hellenic Court as Court of Cassation.
Article 4 [Official Marks and Designations]
- §1 The postal, telegraph and telephone offices in the Monastic Republic shall be styled offices of the Monastic Republic, although they shall be exclusively under the control of the Hellenic Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Administrations.
- §2 In so far as arms and national colours appear in inscriptions, stamps and official seals of the post, telegraph and telephone offices of the Monastic Republic, the arms and colours used shall be those of the Monastic Republic.
Section II [Postage stamps, charges and dues]
Article 5 [Postage Stamps]
- §1 The Government of the Monastic Republic shall, at its own expense, manufacture its own postage stamps, which shall be issued and employed by the Hellenic Postal Administration in the post offices of the Monastic Republic, in accordance with the regulations in force for the Hellenic Empire. The Government of the Monastic Republic may sell its postage stamps on other premises for philatelic purposes only.
- §2 Hellenic postage stamps may not be used in the Monastic Republic or issued in Monastic Republic post offices.
- §3 The postage stamps of each country shall be accorded in the other country the same legal protection against forgery, etc., as is applicable to the stamps of such other country.
Article 6 [Charges and dues]
- §1 For the postal, telegraph and telephone services between the Hellenic Empire and the Monastic Empire the same charges and dues shall be levied as for the Hellenic inland services. For the postal, telegraph and telephone services between the Monastic Republic and foreign countries the same charges shall be made as for the Hellenic services with foreign countries.
- §2 The right to immunity from payment of dues in the Monastic Republic shall be subject to the same regulations as in the Hellenic Empire.
Section III [Conditions of service for officials and employees]
Article 7 [Appointment of staff]
- §1 The officials and employees of the postal, telegraph and telephone services in the Monastic Republic shall be appointed by the Hellenic Postal and Telegraph Administrations. The Government of the Monastic Republic has the right to propose candidates for permanent posts. Such proposals shall be acceded to except for special reasons connected with the services.
- §2 Hellenic officials and employees may be employed temporarily in the Monastic Republic in so far as is required by these services.
Article 8. Rights and Ditties of the Staff. 1. The rights and duties of the officials and employees of the postal, telegraph and telephone services shall be the same in the Principality of Liechtenstein as in Switzerland. 2. The authorities, courts and local authorities of the Principality of Liechtenstein shall render the same assistance to the staff of these services in the performance of their duties as is rendered by the corresponding Swiss authorities to such services in Switzerland. 3. Should any member of the Liechtenstein postal, telegraph and telephone staff be tried or sentenced to punishment by the local courts, notice of such action shall be given to the official superior of the accused, in the same manner as is incumbent on the corresponding Swiss Autho rities. SECTION IV. ADMINISTRATION. Article 9. Changes in Installation. Establishment or abolition of postal, telegraph or telephone offices, and installation, alteration and abolition of postal routes and of telegraphic and telephone appliances in the Principality of Liechtenstein, may be carried out only by agreement with the Government of the Principality. The^Swiss Administration will so far as possible take into account the desires of the Government of Liechtenstein in respect of installations the cost of which is to be borne by the latter Government. SECTION V. POSTAL CHEQUE AND POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK SERVICES. Article 10. Special Post Office Savings Bank. i. Until the establishment of a Post Office Savings Bank in Switzerland, the Swiss Postal Administration shall establish a special Post Office Savings Bank in the Principality of Liech tenstein, and, until the establishment of a Swiss Post Office Savings Bank, shall as far as possible 1921 League of Nations — Treaty Series. 319 allow for this purpose the continuation of the regulations hitherto in force in the Principality of Liechtenstein, but on a Swiss currency basis. 2. The Swiss Postal Administration shall not, however, take charge of such accounts and balances of the inhabitants of Liechtenstein as are in the Post Office Savings Bank of Vienna. Article n. Investment. Funds accruing from the Postal Cheque Service and the Post Office Savings Bank in the Principality of Liechtenstein which are available for investment shall be invested on the same principles as funds accruing from the Swiss Postal Service without prejudice always to the provi sions of Article 12, Para 2. below. SECTION VI. CONDITIONS REGARDING PROPERTY. Article 12. Working Expenses. 1. Funds contained in the cash-boxes of the postal, telegraph and telephone offices of the Principality of Liechtenstein shall be the property of the Swiss Administration. 2. Such cash as is necessary for the working expenses of the postal, telegraph and telephone offices in the Principality of Liechtenstein shall be advanced by the Swiss Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Administrations. The Swiss Postal Administration may, however, employ in the first instance for postal working expenses not more than 20 % of the balances of Liechtenstein holders of postal check accounts and Savings Bank books. Article 13. Installation and Fittings, 1. Such office fittings and vehicles as are necessary for the postal, telegraph and telephone services on the territory of Liechtenstein, and all telegraphic and telephone installations in such territory shall be the property of the Principality of Liechtenstein. 2. New stock and installations acquired during the period in which this agreement remains in force shall be purchased at the expense, and shall become the property of, the Principality of Liechtenstein. SECTION VII. ACCOUNTS. Article 14. Accounts. i. The Accounts of expenditure and receipts shall be kept separately for the postal service and for the telegraph and telephone service. 2 The accounts shall be prepared monthly by the Swiss Department concerned and a state ment shall be sent to the Government of the Principality of Liechtenstein, which shall give its comments thereupon within one month. Supplementary accounts may be submitted in addition to these monthly accounts. 320 Société des Nations — Recueil des Traités. 1921 Article 15. Expenditure. 1. All expenditure in connection with the postal, telephone and telegraph services of the Principality of Liechtenstein shall be stated in the accounts at the amounts actually disbursed 2. A lump sum, to be calculated according to the approximate expenditure upon the Principality, shall be annually included in the accounts and charged under the appropriation for working expenses, to cover the cost of general administration (management, inspection, audit, etc.), also current expenditure connected with certain office requirements (official stationery, etc.). Article 16. Receipts. 1. Receipts derived from charges and dues collected in the post offices of the Principality shall remain the proprety of the Principality and shall therefore be included in full upon the credit side of the working expenditure account. Charges and dues collected by the Swiss offices shall, on the other hand, belong exclusively to Switzerland, and will therefore in no way affect the accounts. 2. Receipts derived from the sale of postage stamps of the Principality to stamp collectors in the special offices established for this purpose, shall not be included in the accounts. 3. Charges and dues derived from the telephone and telegraph services between Switzerland and Liechtenstein shall similarly remain the property of the State in which they are collected. Article 17. Settlement of Accounts relating to Traffic with other Countries. 1. Liechtenstein shall have no concern in the settlement of postal accounts between Swi tzerland and other countries. As regards the postal service between Liechtenstein and other states, so long as the service in each direction is approximately equal, no settlement of accounts with Liechtenstein will be made, 2. As regards the telegraph and telephone services between the Principality and other coun tries, Liechtenstein shall receive the portion of the receipts obtained by Switzerland from outgoing communications. Switzerland shall retain receipts derived from incoming communications. 3. Both parties renounce the right to levy any charges upon postal, telegraph or telephone communications in transit. Article 18. Profit and Loss. 1. The receipts from the postal, telegraph and telephone services of the Principality shall, in the first instance, be devoted to payment of the working expenses. Any surplus shall belong to the Government of Liechtenstein. Similarly any deficit must be met by it. It must also pay the cost of all constructions and purchases which are considered necessary by the Swiss Adminis tration, in connection with the postal, telegraph and telephone services in Liechtenstein. The consent of the Government of Liechtenstein is, however, required in cases involving buildings or extensive purchases. 2. Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein undertake to settle all accounts in Swiss currency not later than 14 days after they have been approved. 1921 League of Nations — Treaty Series. 321 SECTION VIII. FINAL PROVISIONS. Article 19. Execution of the Convention. 1. This Convention shall be ratified and shall take effect from the day following the exchange of ratifications. It may be denounced as from the ist. January or the 1st July in any calendar year, subject to the giving of six months notice of such denunciation. 2. The Convention may be amended by mutual agreement without formal denunciation. 3. The Swiss Postal Administration and the Swiss Telegraph and Telephone Administration shall make the regulations necessary for the execution of this Convention. Article 20. Settlement of Disputes. Disputes as to the interpretation of this Convention shall, in so far as they cannot be settled by diplomatic methods, be submitted to arbitration. In such a case, each party to the Convention shall choose an Arbitrator. If the two Arbitrators cannot agree, they shall themselves select a third as resident. IN WITNESS WHEREOF the plenipotentaries have set their hand and seal to the present Convention. Done at Berne in duplicate this tenth day of November, 1920. (L. S.) (Signed) MOTTA. (L. S.) (Signed) BECK