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[post-Joffices, respectively, to be posted in a conspicuous place in the [post-] office; and he shall also give them notice of any change in the arrival and departure that may be ordered; and he shall cause to be kept and returned to the Department, at short and regular intervals, registers, showing the exact times of the arrivals and departures of the mail. (R. S., § 3841.)

Sec. 658. Postmasters' Report of Arrivals and Departures of the Mails.— Postmasters at the end of every mail-route, and at such other post-offices as the Postmaster-General may direct, will be furnished with blank forms from the office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection, upon which they will report the exact times of the arrival and departures of all the mails which are opened at their post-offices, as required in the preceding section. Particular care should be exercised in filling up the blank forms furnished, giving the name of the post-office, county, and State; the number of the route, the names of the places where it terminates, the schedule days and hours of arrival and departure, the name of the contractor, the name of the carrier, and the mode of carrying the mail. The reports should be fully dated, giving the day of the week, the mouth, and the year. When there is a failure to arrive or depart, write opposite to its date on the face of the report the word FAILURE; when the arrival is so far behind the schedule time as to fail to connect with a depending mail or mails, write FAILED TO CONNECT; and when the arrival is after the schedule time, causing complaint, although not missing connection, write COMPLAINT. The cause of each failure must be noted upon the back of the report; also whether the carrier makes every proper effort to arrive and depart according to the schedule. Whenever the mail is carried by any other person than the contractor or his authorized agent or carrier, the fact is to be noted on the report.

Sec. 659. Special Reports, when Required. In addition to the above, special reports are to be made by any postmaster, whether at terminal or intermediate post-offices, when mails are received wet or in otherwise bad condition; also of extraordinary failures, interruptions, or abandonment of routes; and from time to time of all such information as may aid the Department in enforcing the strictest performance of duty on the part of contractors, and securing for the community the greatest possible regularity, safety, and efficiency in the mail service. The special reports should state the number, or, if the number is not known, the termini of the route. Sec. 660. Disposition of Regular and Special Reports.-The regular and special reports must be forwarded to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection, by the first mail after the close of each month. In no case are they to be sent with the quarterly returns. A copy of each report sent to the Department should be kept by the postmaster, that a duplicate may be promptly furnished if called for. Neglect to forward reports, or duplicates thereof, promptly will be considered sufficient cause for the removal of a postmaster, as such neglect prevents the prompt payment of contractors, and seriously obstructs the business of the Department.

Sec. 661. Duplicate Reports to be Preserved in Post-offices.-The duplicates of the reports of the arrivals and departures of mails retained by postmasters are a part of the public records of the Post-Office Department, and must be carefully preserved with the other records of the post-office. In the event of a change of postmasters they must be turned over to the incoming postmaster with the other records. Sec. 662. Delivery of Mails to Way Post-offices on Star Routes. When the mail is carried in a velricle drawn by horses, the driver will not be required to leave his team in order to deliver the mail to way post-offices, except where the carrier remains over night, when the mail must be deposited in the post-office by the carrier. In no case should the mail be thrown upon the ground. Postmasters and carriers of the mail must report to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection, any violations of this section by either.

Sec. 663. Postmasters to Report Delinquent Mail-Carriers.-Postmasters shall promptly report to the Postmaster-General every delinquency, neglect, or malpractice of the contractors, their agents or carriers, which may come to their knowledge. (R. S., § 3849.)

Sec. 664. Certain Delinquencies to be Specially Reported.-(1) Every instance in which the mail is brought to a post-office by a person under the age of sixteen years, or by a person who has not been duly sworn, must be reported to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection.

(2) If a mail-carrier, having the mail in charge, become intoxicated, the postmaster will instantly dismiss him, employ another at the expense of the contractor, and report the facts to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection.

(3) Every instance in which the mail stopping over night at a place where there is a post-office without being kept in the post-office must be reported by the postmaster to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection.

(4) If the mail arrive without a lock, the postmaster will ascertain where the fault is, and report it to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General.

(5) He will also carefully observe how mails are carried by any steamers landing near his post-office, and will report every case in which he finds them exposed on deck, or not secured in some proper place under lock and key; and in all cases he will see that the mails, by whatever mode of conveyance they are sent from or received at his post-office, are properly protected from the weather.

Sec. 665. Deductions for Contractors' Failures, Fines for Delinquencies.The Postmaster-General may make deductions from the pay of contractors for failures to perform service according to contract, and impose fines upon them for other delinquencies. He may deduct the price of the trip in all cases where the trip is not performed; and not exceeding three times the price if the failure be occasioned by the fault of the contractor or carrier. (R. S., § 3962.)

Sec. 666. When Postmasters must Notify Contractors of Failures.-Failures of mails to arrive at the ends of routes and other points within contract time cannot but be known in all cases to contractors or their agents. No notice, therefore, is necessary to be given to contractors of failures to arrive at any post-office on contract time, as reported by postmasters to the Department; but when the failure is caused by the neglect of a carrier employed by the contractor, the postmaster will notify the contractor of the failure, and require him to take measures to prevent its recurrence.

Sec. 667. Contractors to Make Specific Excuses for each Delinquency.— Should a mail at any time fail to arrive at the end of a route, or at any intermediate post-office, where the time of arrival is fixed, within the time specified in the contract or schedule, it will be expected of every contractor immediately, by himself or agent, to send his excuse to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Inspection, setting forth particularly the cause of the failure. A specific excuse is required for each delinquency of a contractor, and general allegations will not be admitted. If bad roads be alleged, a specific report must be made of what portion of the road was so bad as to obstruct the mails, and what was its peculiar condition; if high waters, it must be shown what water-courses were impassable; and so of all other excuses. If part of the trip only was performed, the report must show what part, and give the distance traveled.

Sec. 668. Causes for which Forfeitures must Occur.-In all cases there will be a forfeiture of the pay of the trip when the trip is not run-of not more than three times the pay of the trip when the trip is not run and no sufficient excuse for the failure is furnished, and a forfeiture of at least one-fourth part of it when the running or arrival is so far behind time as to lose the connection with a depending mail. These forfeitures may be increased into penalties of higher amount, according to the nature

or frequency of the failures and the importance of the mail. Whenever it shall bə satisfactorily shown that the contractors, their carriers or agents, have, for the accommodation of passengers, left or put aside the mail, or any portion of it, or have failed to deliver a mail at a post-office immediately upon arrival, they shall forfeit not exceeding a quarter's pay.

Sec. 689. Causes for which Fines will be Imposed.-Fines will be imposed, unless the delinquency be satisfactorily explained in due time, for each of the following causes: Failing to take from or deliver at a post-office the mail or any part of it; for suffering it to be wet, injured, lost, or destroyed; for conveying it in a place or manner that exposes it to depredation, loss, or injury; for refusing, after demand, to convey a mail by any coach, railroad, car, or steamboat, which the contractor regularly runs, or is concerned in running, on the route, beyond the specified number of trips in the contract; for not arriving at the time fixed by the schedule; the penalty to be exacted being equal to a quarter's pay.

Sec. 670. Deductions and Fines upon Railroad Companies.-The Postmaster-General shall deduct from the pay of the railroad companies, for every failure to deliver a mail within its schedule time, not less than onehalf of the price of the trip, and where the trip is not performed, not less than the price of one trip, and not exceeding, in either case, the price of three trips: Provided, however, That if the failure is caused by a connecting road, then only the connecting road shall be fined. And where such failure is caused by unavoidable casualty, the Postmaster-General, in his discretion, may remit the fine. And he may make deductions and impose fines for other delinquencies. (Act March 3, 1879, § 5, 20 Stat., p. 358.)

Sec.

CHAPTER SEVEN.
MAIL EQUIPMENTS.

671. Term "mail-bags" includes, what.

672. Every mail-route must be supplied with mailbags.

673. Applications for mail-bags must state, what.
674. Applications for supplies to Second Assistant
Postmaster-General.

675. Repairs of mail-bags by postmasters, etc.
676. Mail-bags in transit becoming unsound.
677. What mutilation of a mail-bag may be al
lowed.

678. Sacks containing public documents.
679. Damaged mail-bags at post-offices which are
mail-bag depositories.

630. Surplus mail-bags not to accumulate.
681. Equal exchange or reciprocal return of locked
pouches.

682. Register of outgoing and incoming mails to

be kept.

683. Names of depositories for mail-bags and locks. 684. Account of depository post-offices to be rendered.

685. Surplus stock to be kept apart from the cur rent stock.

686. Legitimate use of mail-bags restricted, to what.

687. Canvas sacks may be taken by publishers,

when.

Sec.

688. Waste or abuse of mail-bags to be prevented.” 689. Mail-bags not to be purchased by postmas.

ters.

690. Mail-catchers, how furnished.

691. Applications for mail-bags, etc., to state rea

sons.

692. Mail-locks and keys by whom furnished.
693. Care of mail-keys, penalty for loss.
694. Mail-keys to have a specific number.
695. Exchange of mail-keys by railway mail em.
ployés.

696. Receipts to be always taken for mail-keys.
697. Repairing mail-locks and keys forbidden.
698. Defective keys to be reported to the Depart-

ment.

699. Brass locks not to be sent to iron-lock postoffices.

700. Proper course when defective key will not open mail-lock.

701. Proper course when defective lock cannot be
opened.

702. Fastening strap never to be cut.
703. Economy in the use of mail-locks.
704. Unlawful use of mail-bags to be reported to
the Department.

705. How to address communications on mail
equipments.

Sec. 671. Term "Mail-bags" Includes, what.-The general term "mail

bags" includes MAIL-POUCHES (used for every mode of conveyance excepting horseback) of five different sizes, the largest being No. 1; HORSE MAIL-BAGS (for horseback service only) of three different sizes, the largest being No. 1; MAIL-CATCHER POUCHES (of one size only), designed exclusively for exchanges of mails on railways by catchers and cranes; CANVAS MAIL-SACKS (not locked, but tied with cord), designed for printed matter only.

Sec. 672. Every Mail-route must be Supplied with Mail-bags.-Every mailroute must always be duly provided with suitable mail-bags and locks, in good and safe condition. Postmasters, especially those at the ends of routes, must see to this, and promptly make application for such as are needed. It is their duty to look constantly to the condition of mail-bags in use, permitting none to be used which are too much worn or otherwise unsafe, and to report any damage discovered to have been done to them, whether through accident, negligence, or design, while in the custody of carriers.

Sec. 673. Applications for Mail-bags must State, what.-Applications for mail-bags should explain why they are needed, and specify the number and size or capacity of each, also the number of the route (or the terminal points thereof), and especially the mode of conveyance thereon.

Sec. 674. Applications for Supplies to Second Assistant Postmaster-General.— Postmasters must obtain requisite supplies of mail-bags by direct application to the office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Mail Equipments, and not by withholding the return of such as were received with mail-matter from other post-offices. Before old mail-bags in use become too much worn for safety, timely application must be made for new ones by postmasters at the ends of the routes where they are used, and the old bags must be sent to the nearest depository, on receipt of

new ones.

Sec. 675. Repairs of Mail-bags by Postmasters, etc.-When a mail-bag in use becomes so damaged as to require slight repairs, and the postmaster at the end of the route where it first arrives in that condition has not a good bag to substitute for same, he must immediately have it repaired at a reasonable cost, charging the amount paid therefor in his account of contingent expenses, and sending to the Auditor with his quarterly returns a bill and receipt rendered by the mender of the bag as a proper voucher for the allowance of the money so paid and charged by him. In having repairs of mail-bags done, he should direct the person performing the work to specify in his bill, whenever practicable, the number of each size of every kind of mail-bags repaired, and the nature and price of the repairs done to each.

Sec. 676. Mail-bag in Transit becoming Unsound.-In case a mail-bag in transit becomes too unsound to convey the mail with safety to the end of the route, the postmaster first discovering its bad condition must have it repaired immediately, even if he has no suitable mail-bag to substitute for it, and must therefore detain the mail until the needful repairs can be done. Postmasters whose post-offices are not mail-bag depositories should not have surplus mail-bags repaired, but such bags only as are in demand for immediate use.

Sec. 677. What Mutilation of a Mail-bag may be allowed.-When a mailbag has a damaged or defective lock upon it, which cannot be opened with the proper key in good order, such lock should be removed without further damage, where there are a bag and lock in good condition to substitute for them, by filing or cutting asunder that staple of the bag to which the lock is fastened. No other mutilation of a mail-bag is admissible under such or any other circumstances whatever. When the staple is cut, the mail-bag must not be used again until a new staple shall have been applied to it. The fastening-strap of a mail-bag must never be cut, and must never be spliced nor repaired in any way, but must be replaced, when necessary, with a new one.

Sec. 678. Sacks Containing Public Documents.-Postmasters, especially those at the resident places of members of Congress (to whose post-offices canvas

sacks containing public documents are sent from Washington, D. C.), must see that all such sacks are emptied and sent back to the post-office in the latter place.

Sec. 679. Damaged Mail-bags at Mail-bag Depository Post-offices.-Postmasters whose post-offices are mail-bag depositories are not authorized to have repairs done to mail-bags collected in their post-offices, but are required to forward all damaged mail-bags to the established repair-shops, under such special instructions as may from time to time be received from the Second Assistant Postmaster-General.

Sec. 680. Surplus Mail-bags not to Accumulate.-Surplus mail-bags must not be allowed to accumulate and fall into disuse in any post-office not a depository for mail-bags. All such, whether in good condition or not, must be forwarded to the nearest mail-bag depository.

Sec. 681. Equal Exchange or Reciprocal Return of Locked Pouches.-The use of locked pouches (for letter mails) must be controlled by the rule of equal exchange or reciprocal return; therefore a separate locked pouch must not be made up in any post-office directly for any other, with greater or less frequency than a separate locked pouch is usually received directly therefrom, without special instructions from the Department. Repeated failures to comply with this rule on the part of any postoffice must be reported to the Second Assistant Postmaster-General by any postmaster whose supplies of mail-bags may have materially been reduced thereby. The same rule is not applicable to separate tied sacks of printed matter, which may be made up and dispatched without regard to a corresponding return of printed matter; but all such sacks (or a like number of them), received and emptied in post-offices not depositories, are to be promptly returned, duly labeled, to the place whence they were received, whether there shall be printed matter to send back in them or not. Any that may be received from unknown sources, or from places where they are not needed, must not be suffered to fall into disuse, but be forwarded without delay to the nearest mail-bag depository.

Sec. 632. Register of Outgoing and Incoming Mails to be Kept.-In all post-offices where many lock-pouches are sent and received daily, such a register of the outgoing and incoming mails should be kept as will show the places to which separate locked pouches are sent and from which they are received, as well as the number sent to and received from each daily. Postmasters will give particular attention to keeping such registers, and will be guided by the same in correcting all disparities in their exchanges of locked pouches.

Sec. 683. Names of Depositories for Mail Bags and Locks.-The following post-offices are depositories for mail bags and locks, where mail bags and locks, new and old, are collected and distributed, under special instructions from the Second Assistant Postmaster-General: Portland and Bangor, Maine; Concord, New Hampshire; Rutland, Vermont; Boston, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford and New Haven, Connecticut; New York, Albany, and Buffalo, New York; Trenton, New Jersey; Philadelphia, Harrisburgh, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, District of Columbia; Richmond, Virginia; Wheeling, West Virginia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Charleston and Columbia, South Carolina; Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Tallahassee, Florida; Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; New Orleans, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana ; Springfield and Chicago, Illinois; Saint Louis, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Des Moines and Dubuque, Iowa; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Galveston, Texas; San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City, Utah Territory; Lawrence, Kansas; and Omaha, Nebraska.

Sec. 684. Accounts of Depository Post-offices to be Rendered. It is the duty of every postmaster whose post-office is a depository for mail bags and locks to render to the office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division of Mail Equipments, an account at the end of every month showing the number of each kind of mail-locks

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