CHAPTER FIVE.

Postage-Stamps and Envelopes.

Sec. 3914.

Postage stamps.

Provisions for the manufacture of special delivery and adhesive postage stamps by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing are contained in Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, set forth below.

ACT APRIL 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1.

Special delivery and postage stamps; manufacture by Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

* * That hereafter, when in the opinion of the Postmaster-General the interests of the Post-Office Department require it, the manufacturing of special-delivery and adhesive postage stamps may be done by the Treasury Department (Bureau of Engraving and Printing), in conformity with an agreement satisfactory to both the Postmaster-General and the Secretary of the Treasury.

Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, 32 Stat. 117.

This is a proviso annexed to an appropriation for the manufacture of postage and special delivery stamps in the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, cited above.

Provisions authorizing the Postmaster-General to prepare postage stamps are contained in Rev. St. § 3914, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2677. Provisions for special delivery stamps are contained in Act March 3, 1885, c. 342, § 3, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2640.

Sec. 3921.

ACT JUNE 20, 1878, c. 359, § 1.

Uniform ink or appliance for canceling postage stamps.

Provisions for rental or purchase of canceling machines are contained in Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, set forth below.

ACT MARCH 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1.

Canceling machines; rental or purchase.

For rental or purchase of canceling machines,

dollars,

* Provided, That no canceling machine shall be rented at an annual rental exceeding the rate now paid by the Department: And provided further, That the Postmaster-General shall, whenever in his opinion it is advisable, purchase canceling machines, and shall report. fully to the next Congress in regard to said machines, whether they should be purchased or rented, all facts connected therewith, and what steps ought to be taken to protect the interests of the Government therein.

Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, 32 Stat. 1169.

These are provisions of the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, cited above.

Sec. 3925.

ACT MARCH 3, 1901, c. 830, § 1.

Sale of post-route maps; disposition of proceeds.

The provisions of this act set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2685, are repeated in the same language in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation acts for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1903, and June 30, 1904. Act April 28, 1902, c. 594, § 1, 32 Stat. 167, and Act Feb. 25, 1903, c. 755, § 1, 32 Stat. 902.

CHAPTER SIX

Registered Letters.

Sec. 3926. [As amended 1897.]

System of registration authorized; [indemnity for loss of first-class registered matter.]

Provisions authorizing the Postmaster-General to increase the amount of indemnity for losses of first-class registered matter are contained in Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, set forth below.

A superintendent and assistant superintendents of the registry system, in the Post-Office Department, are provided for by appropriations in the legislative, executive, and judicial appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, Act Feb. 25, 1903, c. 755, § 1, 32 Stat. 901.

ACT MARCH 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1.

Indemnity for loss of first-class registered matter; maximum amount.

* * That hereafter the Postmaster-General may increase the amount of indemnity provided for in Act of February twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, an Act amendatory of section thirty-nine hundred and twenty-six of the Revised Statutes, to not exceeding one hundred dollars.

Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, 32 Stat. 1174.

This is a proviso annexed to an appropriation for the payment of indemnity for the loss of first-class registered matter in the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, cited above. A provision authorizing the Postmaster-General to increase the indemnity not to exceed $100 is contained in Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, 32 Stat. 117, in language similar to the provision set forth here, with the exception of the word "hereafter."

Act Feb. 27, 1897, mentioned in this provision, is incorporated into Rev. St. § 3926, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2685, and limited the indemnity for the loss of first-class registered matter to $10.

Sec. 3942.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

Contracts for Carrying the Mails.

Contracts with railways without advertising.

Appropriations for transportation of mail by electric and cable cars, mentioned in the note under this section in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2693, are continued in the postal service appropriation acts for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1903, and June 30, 1904, Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, 32 Stat. 116, and Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, 32 Stat. 1173. Provisions for the making of contracts for the transmission of mail by pneumatic tubes are contained in Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, set forth at the end of this chapter.

Sec. 3943.

ACT MARCH 3, 1885, c. 342, § 1.

Contracts for inland and foreign steamboat mail service.

Provisions authorizing contracts for marine postal service at Detroit, Mich., are contained in Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, set forth below.

ACT MARCH 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1.

Marine service, Detroit, Mich.; contracts.

* Provided,

For marine postal service, Detroit, Michigan, That the Postmaster-General may, in his discretion, enter into contract for such marine postal service for a period not exceeding ten years.

Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 1, 32 Stat. 1170.

This is a provision of the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, cited above.

Sec. 3963.

ACT APRIL 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1.

Transmission of mail by pneumatic tubes; contracts; expert commission; report.

For the transmission of mail by pneumatic tubes or other similar devices, * *; and the Postmaster-General is hereby authorized to enter into contracts for a period not exceeding four years, after public advertisement once a week for a period of six consecutive weeks in not less than five newspapers, one of which shall be published in each city where the service is to be performed. That the contracts for this service shall be subject to the provisions of the postal laws and regulations relating to the letting of mail contracts, except as herein otherwise provided, and that no advertisement shall issue until after a careful investigation shall have been made as to the needs and practicability of such service and until a favorable report, in writing, shall have been submitted to the Postmaster-General by a commis

sion of not less than three expert postal officials, to be named by him; nor shall such advertisement issue until in the judgment of the Postmaster-General the needs of the postal service are such as to justify the expenditure involved. Advertisements shall state in general terms only the requirements of the service and in form best calculated to invite competitive bidding.

That the Postmaster-General shall have the right to reject any and all bids; that no contract shall be awarded except to the lowest responsible bidder, tendering full and sufficient guaranties, to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General, of his ability to perform satisfactory service, and such guaranties shall include an approval bond in double the amount of theʻ bid.

That no contract shall be entered into in any city for the character of mail service herein provided which will create an aggregate annual rate of expenditure, including necessary power and labor to operate the tubes, and all other expenses of such service in excess of four per centum of the gross postal revenue of said city for the last preceding fiscal year.

That no contract shall be made in any city providing for three miles or more of double lines of tube which shall involve an expenditure in excess of seventeen thousand dollars per mile per annum, and said compensation shall cover power, labor, and all operating

expenses.

That the Postmaster-General shall not, prior to June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and four, enter into contracts under the provisions of this Act involving an annual expenditure in the aggregate in excess. of eight hundred thousand dollars; and thereafter only such contracts shall be made as may from time to time be provided for in the annual appropriation Act for the postal service; and all provisions of law contrary to those herein contained are repealed.

Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, 32 Stat. 114.

These are provisions of the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1903, cited above.

Special delivery messengers, when actually engaged in carrying, etc.. mail, are deemed carriers, within the meaning of this section, by Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 4, ante, under chapter 2 of this Title.

Provisions relating to officers of the railway mail service are set forth or referred to under chapter 12 of this Title.

Style, construction, maintenance, etc., of railway post-office cars.

Entering by violence a railway post office car or any apartment in any railway car assigned to the use of the railway mail service, or willfully or maliciously assaulting a railway postal clerk while on duty, are punishable by Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 5, set forth below.

ACT MARCH 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 5.

Entry by violence into railway post-office car; assault on postal clerk; penalty.

Whoever by violence enters a railway post-office car or any apartment in any railway car assigned to the use of the Railway Mail Service, or who willfully or maliciously assaults a railway postal clerk in the discharge of his duties in connection with such car or apartment, and whoever willfully aids or assists therein, shall for every such offense be punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than three years.

Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 5, 32 Stat. 1176.

This section is part of the postal service appropriation act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1904, cited above.

Injuring receiving boxes or assaulting letter carriers are punishable by Rev. St. § 3869, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2638. Obstructing the mail is punishable by Rev. St. $ 3995, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 2716. Injuring mail matter deposited in letter boxes is punishable by Rev. St. § 5466, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 3691. Robbing a carrier of the mail intrusted to him and assaulting him with intent to rob are punishable by Rev. St. §§ 5472, 5473, set forth in Comp. St. 1901, p. 3694. Provisions making special delivery messengers carriers, within the meaning of Rev. St. §§ 3869, 3995, 5472, 5473, are contained in Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 4, set forth under chapter 2 of this Title. Injuring letter boxes on rural free-delivery routes or other mail routes and injuring or stealing mail deposited therein are punishable by Act April 21, 1902, c. 563, § 1, as amended by Act March 3, 1903, c. 1009, § 3, set forth under chapter 2 of this Title.