New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-30
INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MtSTERS:

INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS AND POST
MASTERS:
CONTAINING ALSO CONDITIONS 70 Ea IvCCErOEA
TED IN THE CONTRACTS TO THE EXTENT TIL
DEPARTMENT MAY DEEM PROPER.
l. Seven minutes are allowed to each inter
mediate Office, when not otherwise specified, ioI
| asserting the mails.
.. On routes where the mode Of conveyance
admits Oft, the special agents of the Post Office
| Department, also post Office blanks mail bags,
locks end kc~s. Gre 10 be conveyed without extra
charge.
3. Way bills or receipts, prepared by post
masters or other agents of the Department, will
| accompany the mails, specifying tEc number
and destination of the several bags, to be exam
| incd 10y the postmastcrs, to insure regularity IN
the delivery of bags and pouches.
| (. No pay will be made for trips, not per
| formed; and for each of such omissions, if the
failure be occasioned by the fault of the con-
tractor or carrier, three times the pay Of the
trip will be deducted. For arrivals so far be-
| hind time as break connection with depending
mails, and not sufficiently excused, one-fourth
of the compensation for the trip is subject to
forfeiture. For repeated delinqgencies of the
kind herein specified, enlarged penalties, pro-
porioned TO u" nature thereof, aud the import
| ance of tie mail, may he made.
3. For leaving behind or throwing off the
mails or any portion of them, for the admission
oi passengers for being concerned in setting
un or running an express, conveying Intelligence
in advance Of the mail, 4 quarter pay may be
deducted.
8. Fines will be imposed. unless the dclin
qucncy be promptly and satisfactorily explained
by certificates of rOstmasters or the aiiidavits
OF other credible persons, for failing TO arrive in
contract time; for negiectIng 20 take the mail
from or deliver II iato a post Office: for suf
terinc it to be wet. injored, destroyed, robbed,
or los; and for refusing, after demend. to con
yey the mail as frequently tho contractor runs,
or is concerned IN running a coach, car, or
steamboat. on route.
:. The Postmaster General NAV annul the
contract for repeated faiuroo TO run Gg~ecaby
10 caatraot for voistiHs the pos, oic> Jaws, or
disub. yiug the instructions of the Department
for refusing 90 discharge a carrier when req nrcd
by The Department 70 DO 50 FOR running an cx-
press, as aforesaid, or for Transporting persons
or PACKAGES conveying Inaiiable mstter out OF
tie mail.
g. The Postmaster General may order an in.
crease OF service on route by allowing therefor
a pro rata increase on the contract pay. He
may change schedules of departures and arrivals
in all cases, and particularly 10 make them con
form TO connections with railroads. without in
crease Of pay, provided the running time be not
abridged. The Postmaster Gensral may also
discontinue or curtAil the savioe in whole or in
part in order to place on the route superior ser.
vice, or whenever the public interest, in hi~
Judgment, shall require sneh disoontinuance or
curtsilmcnt for any other carss he allowing as
full indemnity TO contractor one months extra
pay on the amount of service dispensed with.
and a pro rata compensation for the amount OF
service retained and contnsed.
9. Payments will be made b. eollscsSns from,
or drafts on, postmsstess or oshAswies, sAu tho
expiration of each q'rnrNr-say in November,