§ 50.3502 Contracts for carrying the mails in panel or screen body motor vehicles-(a) Geographical divisions. Contracts for the transportation of mails in panel or screen body motor vehicles between the terminals of common carriers and general post offices and the stations and branches thereof, are made for periods of four years. For purposes of advertising for proposals and awarding such contracts, the United States is divided geographically into four sections with contracts expiring in one of such sections each year.

(b) Advertisements for proposals. An advertisement for proposals to furnish this service in one of such sections is prepared in pamphlet form each year, giving therein specifications for the service required respectively at various cities located in such geographical section, and containing instructions to bidders and postmasters and also general conditions to be incorporated in the contracts. Such advertisement is conspicuously posted in each post office at which a contract is to be awarded for at least sixty days before the time for receiving proposals. Postmasters at such post offices are instructed to give other publicity to such advertisement for proposals.

(c) Proposals.. Proposals are submitted upon Form A which likewise contains a bond and oath. This form may be obtained from the local postmaster or from the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. The proposal is to be executed, the facts stated therein sworn to, and the execution thereof acknowledged under oath, by the bidder and two or more individual sureties or an approved surety company. Only one route may be included in a single proposal, and the bidder must agree to give his personal supervision to the performance of the contract and to reside on or contiguous to the route. Proposals must be sealed and transmitted to the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, Post Office Department, Washington 25, D. C.

(d) Awards. While a bidder may submit proposals to perform this service on more than one route, he will only be awarded a contract or a single route upon or contiguous to which he must reside so as to give his personal supervision to performing the contract. A contract for each route advertised will be separately awarded to the lowest responsible bidder whose proposal and bond

conform in all respects to the specifications, and to whom has not been awarded a similar contract on another such route; but the Department reserves the right to reject all bids or to negotiate with the only bidder or lowest bidder for more reasonable terms. The contract will be executed upon Form 1748 by the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General and by the contractor and two or more individual sureties or an approved surety company. The contract will provide for the imposition by the Postmaster General of deductions and fines against the contractor for any delinquency or omission of duty under the contract, as authorized by law. (17 Stat. 313; 18 Stat 235; 19 Stat. 335; 21 Stat. 374; 36 Stat. 366; 39 Stat. 418; 39 Stat. 1068; R. S. 3941; R. S. 3944; R. S. 3945; R. S. 3949; R. S. 3956; R. S. 3962; R. S. 3975; 39 U. S. C. 421; 39 U. S. C. 425; 39 U. S. C. 426; 39 U. S. C. 429; 30 U. S. C. 430; 39 U. S. C. 434; 39 U. S. C. 436; 39 U.S.C. 443; 39 U.S.C. 493)

CROSS REFERENCE: For forms see § §55.3500 and 55.3501 of this chapter. For contract cancellation procedure see R. S. 3951; 54 Stat. 227; 39 U. S. C. 434.

§ 50.3503 Contracts for hiring vehicles on an annual basis-(a) Period and nature of contract. Contracts are made for periods of one year for furnishing panel or screen body and other types of motor vehicles, without drivers, for use in collection, delivering and relaying mail and in special delivery service. These vehicles are to be furnished for specified numbers of hours respectively on week days, Sundays and holidays; and the owner is required to equip such vehicles with adequate locking devices, keep them in satisfactory mechanical condition, and bear all expense of the operation and maintenance thereof.

(b) Advertisements. Advertisements for proposals to furnish such vehicles are made upon Form MV-44, which is posted in the lobby of the post office where such vehicles are required. Such advertisement states the number and type of vehicles required and the number of hours they are to be used respectively on week days, Sundays and holidays, and advises where such proposal forms may be obtained.

(c) Proposals. Proposals are submitted upon Form MVS-1 to the local postmaster in response to the advertisement. These proposals are then transmitted by the postmaster to the Fourth

§ 50.3700 Leasing and equipping of quarters for post offices of the first, second and third classes; for stations and branches thereof; and for post office garages and railway mail terminals—(a) Advertisement for bids. Subject to Department approval, intention to lease quarters for a post office or station or branch thereof, or for post office garages or railway mail terminals, will be advertised at such post office by the posting publicly of an advertisement upon Form 1410, signed by a post office inspector, calling for proposals to furnish such quarters, and by giving other publicity to such intention. This advertisement will give information concerning the space, equipment and services desired, and will advise from whom may be obtained the forms to be used in making a proposal; and to whom such proposal should be submitted.

(b) Proposals. Proposals will be made upon Form 1400 for instructions contained therein, and from information given in Form 1425 containing specifications for equipment, and Form 1425-A containing the general building requirements. The proposals received will be transmitted to the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General for consideration.

(c) Awards. The proposal most advantageous to the Postal Service will be accepted or all of the proposals may be rejected. The acceptance of a proposal will be followed by the execution by the successful proponent and the Postmaster General of a lease of the post office or other quarters upon Form 1449, Standard Form of Government Lease for use by the Post Office Department. These leases are usually for terms of ten years. Information concerning any existing or proposed lease may be obtained from the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General. (23 Stat. 386; 42 Stat. 656; 39 U. S. C. 10; 25 Stat. 345; 41 Stat. 578; 43 Stat. 1105; 44 Stat. 688; Supp.; 47 Stat. 412; 47 Stat. 1517; 39 U. S. C. 10; 39 U. S. C. 11; 39 U. S. C. 14, Supp.; 40 U. S. C. 278A)

CROSS REFERENCE: For forms see §§ 55.3700, 55.3701, 55.3702, 55.3703 of this chapter.

§ 50.3701 Rental of post office quarters without formal lease. Arrangements for post office quarters occupied on month-to-month basis without formal lease and at a rental not exceeding $1,000 per annum, are made by the local postmasters, subject to review and ap

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(b) To postmasters. (1) Inquiries and complaints by the public in regard to mail except as hereinafter indicated, (See subparagraph (3) of this paragraph). Complaints regarding handling or mistreatment of mail should be accompanied with the envelope or wrapper to which the complaint refers, if available. Patrons are urged to report any loss or non-delivery or any other mistreatment of mail since these reports may be used to correct such conditions.

(2) Complaints in general affecting the Service should likewise be made to the postmaster.

(3) Where inquiries or complaints to the postmaster are manifestly improper under the circumstances, they should be made to the Post Office Department.

(c) To Post Office Inspectors-inCharge. Included in the offenses against the postal service which should be promptly reported to a Post Office Inspector-in-Charge, or to the Chief Inspector, Post Office Department, are the theft, rifling, tampering with and interception of mail; mailing of intoxicants, poisons, firearms, explosives, etc.; mailing of obscene and scurrilous matter; using the mails to defraud and in the promotion of lotteries; violation of the private express statutes (Government monopoly of the transportation of letter mail); mailing of letters of extortion and other complaints alleging criminal offenses against the postal service.

(d) To the Post Office Department. Administrative matters such as charges against postal employees of all classes (except Post Office Inspectors-in-Charge, inspectors, and clerks at division headquarters and other posts of duty of post office inspectors) and the establishment of or changes in rural or star routes should be addressed to the proper bureau of the department, and if an investigation by an inspector is necessary, such

bureau will make request therefor on the Chief Inspector who will have investigations made in the field division concerned by some inspector or inspectors thereof.

or

§ 50.4301 Disposition of money other property lost or stolen from the mails and recovered by post office inspectors. (a) The Chief Inspector is authorized by the Postmaster General to determine upon satisfactory evidence the ownership of money or other property lost or stolen from the mails and recovered by Post Office Inspectors, and to dispose of same to the United States Government, or to the public as their interests shall appear, as is hereinafter indicated.

(b) When Post Office Inspectors establish through investigation individual responsibility for mistreatment of mail matter, collection therefor is given attention by them. Collections by Post Office Inspectors for mistreatment of mail are forwarded by them through their Inspectors in Charge to the Chief Inspector who reviews the facts and makes disposition of the money.

(c) Identical money and identified articles stolen from the mails, and recovered by Post Office Inspectors, if not needed as evidence, or when no longer needed as such may, unless otherwise directed by the United States Attorney or the court, or the Post Office Department, be restored by inspectors to the owners unless they have received payment of indemnity or other settlement is in order.

(d) Property other than money believed to be the contents of mail but not so identified, recovered by Post Office Inspectors, if not needed as evidence or when no longer needed as such may, unless otherwise directed by the United States Attorney or the court, or the Post Office Department, be forwarded to designated post offices for treatment as dead mail matter.

(e) When the inspector feels that the disposition of money or other property by him is inadvisable on account of insufficiency of identification, conflicting claims, or other reasons, the disposition of the money or other property is determined by the Chief Inspector.

(f) If money collected by inspectors represents a compromise offer, or if advisable for other reasons, inspectors channel it to the Chief Inspector for treatment by him.

(g) Subject to the foregoing, inspectors generally disburse direct to those entitled thereto collections made by inspectors if they apply to wrong payment of a postal money order, a postal savings certificate, or a postal note, or to customs duty assessed on mail matter, or to damage by the public to a mail truck or to street letter box equipment.

(h) Moneys lost or stolen from the mails and recovered by Post Office Inspectors and thereafter sent by them to the Chief Inspector are deposited by him with the Superintendent, Division of Finance, of the Post Office Department, unless, as in the case of identical money or for other reasons, other action may be in order.

(i) With respect to moneys deposited with the Superintendent, Division of Finance, the Chief Inspector, after determining upon satisfactory evidence the proper disposition thereof, either to the United States Government, or the public as their interests shall appear, furnishes the Superintendent, Division of Finance, with disbursement schedules. The Superintendent, Division of Finance, thereafter disposes of the money to the United States Government, or to the public in the form of negotiable paper, as prescribed on such schedules following their approval by the Comptroller General.

(j) Persons suffering losses of money or other property from the mails should make report thereof to the postmaster. Form 1510, suitable and convenient for such purpose, may be obtained from any post office, or the matter may be communicated by means of a letter to the postmaster who channels such reports to the proper Post Office Inspector in Charge. When such money or other property is recovered by Post Office Inspectors, it is disposed of as hereinbefore shown.

§ 50.4302 Payment of rewards. (a) The Post Office Department will, on and after July 1, 1945, unless otherwise ordered, pay the following rewards, providing Congress makes available the necessary appropriation:

(1) Not exceeding two thousand dollars for the arrest and conviction of any offender on the charge of assaulting any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail, or money or other property of the United States, with intent to rob, steal, or purloin such mail,

or money or other property of the United States, or any part thereof, or on the charge of robbing any such person of any such mail, or money or other property of the United States, if in effecting or attempting to effect such robbery, he shall wound the person having custody of the mail, or money or other property of the United States, or put his life in jeopardy by the use of a dangerous weapon.

(2) Not exceeding two thousand dollars for the arrest and conviction of any offender on the charge of mailing or causing to be mailed any bomb, infernal machine, or mechanical, chemical, or other device or composition which may ignite or explode, with the design, intent, or purpose to kill or in anywise hurt, harm, or injure another, or damage, deface, or otherwise injure the mails or other property.

(3) Not exceeding one thousand dollars for the arrest and conviction of any offender on the charge of assaulting any person having lawful charge, control, or custody of any mail, or money or other property of the United States, with intent to rob, steal, or purloin such mail, or money or other property of the United States, or any part thereof, or of robbing such person of such mail, or money or other property of the United States, or any part thereof, where the assault does not include the wounding of the person having custody of the mail, or money or other property of the United States, or the putting of his life in jeopardy by the use of a dangerous weapon.

(4) Not exceeding two hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of any person on the charge of breaking into or attempting to break into a post office, or any building used in whole or in part as a post office, with intent to commit in such post office, or part of said building used as a post office, any larceny or other depredation. A post office station will be regarded as coming within the meaning of the term, post office, as used in this section.

(5) Not exceeding two hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of any person on the charge of stealing mail or any valuable thing contained therein, or money or other property of the United States, while being conveyed over any post route, or while in the custody of any mail messenger, or being conveyed to or from any railroad depot, or of robbing or stealing from the mail while it remains at any railroad depot awaiting transfer.

(6) Not exceeding two hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of any person on the charge of stealing mail or any valuable thing contained therein, or money or other property of the United States, from or out of any mail, post office, or station thereof, or from any person properly having custody of any mail, money or property as aforesaid, or of larceny from any letter box, street letter box, or other receptacle established, approved, or designated by the Postmaster General for the receipt of mail on any rural delivery route, star route, or other mail route, or from a box rented in a post office, or from any public receptacle or other authorized depository for mail.

(7) Not exceeding two hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of any mail carrier on any mail messenger route or star route on the charge of embezzling or stealing mail or any valuable thing contained therein.

(8) Not exceeding two hundred dollars for the arrest and conviction of any person on the charge of mailing or causing to be mailed any bomb, infernal machine, or mechanical, chemical, or other device or composition which may ignite or explode, and which may kill or in anywise hurt, harm, or injure another, or damage, deface, or otherwise injure the mails or other property.

(9) For the arrest and conviction of any person as accessory to any of the offenses above mentioned, or for receiving or having unlawful possession of any mail, money or property stolen from a post office or from a station of a post office, or otherwise, as provided in this Notice of Reward, the same reward will be paid as for the arrest and conviction of the principal offender.

(10) When an offender is killed in the act of committing any of the crimes enumerated herein, or in resisting lawful arrest, the same reward may be paid as though he had been tried and convicted.

(11) When a person has been convicted of committing any offense enumerated herein a reward may be paid, even though such person when arrested was charged with committing an offense not so enumerated. When a person has been convicted on the charge of juvenile delinquency because of having committed any offense enumerated herein, the same reward may be paid as though he had been convicted of such offense.