US Postal Laws & Regulations Brought to you by the US Postal Bulletins Consortium Year: 1940

Distribution Table Of Contents

Click here to view the entire PDF Document Pages Accounts (32 pages) 151-182 Advertised (3 pages) 399-400, 419 Air stamps (1 page) 249 Air-mail (23 pages) 8, 11, 248-249, 709-721, 801, 841-845 Audits (2 pages) 71-72 Avis de reception (2 pages) 802, 809 Bad order (7 pages) 358, 524-527, 793-794 Blind matter (7 pages) 283, 350-354, 800 Book rate (2 pages) 290-291 Bound printed matter (1 page) 288 Boxes (18 pages) 238-242, 391-392, 439-444, 469-473 Business reply mail (2 pages) 247-248 Carriers (58 pages) 425-473, 542-550 Certificate of mailing (4 pages) 293-294, 493, 558 Circulars (1 page) 282 Closed (1 page) 808 COD (15 pages) 13, 536, 556-562, 565-570 Commercial papers (1 page) 800 Copyright (3 pages) 348-350 Crimes, postal (32 pages) 853-884 Customs (19 pages) 791-792, 813-829 Dead letter office (29 pages) 8, 87-88, 330, 332, 355, 366-368, 397-399, 401-402, 415-424, 492, 542, 810-812 Deliver to addressee only (6 pages) 490-491, 532, 534-535, 537 Delivery of mail (100 pages) 388-399, 425-484, 528-550, 560-562, 809-810 Delivery offices (115 pages) 377-406, 425-484, 528-550, 809-810 Demurrage (1 page) 568 Directory service (3 pages) 400, 416, 534 Distribution (5 pages) 370-374 Drop letters (3 pages) 243, 249, 401 Dutiable mail (19 pages) 791-792, 813-829 Electric cars (7 pages) 8, 698-703 Fictitious (4 pages) 333-334, 416, 418 First assistant PG (3 pages) 7-8, 201 First-class mail matter (12 pages) 243-251, 783, 785, 800 Foreign mails (57 pages) 9-10, 368, 506, 791-792, 799-849 Form 1510 (3 pages) 409-410, 833 Form 1522 (1 page) 420 Form 2855 (1 page) 835 Form 2863 (1 page) 805 Form 2865 (3 pages) 413, 802, 807 Form 2985 (1 page) 826 Form 3435 (1 page) 819 Form 3437 (2 pages) 821, 829 Form 3509 (1 page) 820 Form 3511 (1 page) 815 Form 3578 (1 page) 408 Form 3579 (1 page) 408 Form 3812 (1 page) 411 Form 3814-C (1 page) 827 Form 3815 (1 page) 492 Form 3818 (1 page) 567 Form 3853 (1 page) 828 Form 3854 (1 page) 828 Form 3867 (1 page) 827 Form 3870 (1 page) 413 Form 3951 (3 pages) 464, 479-480 Form 3954 (2 pages) 464, 479 Form 3955 (1 page) 479 Form 4233 (1 page) 461 Form 5161-B (1 page) 820 Form 5211 (1 page) 820 Form 5258 (2 pages) 412, 820 Form 540 (1 page) 836 Form 541 (1 page) 836 Form 542 (2 pages) 413, 832 Form 565 (2 pages) 409-410 Form 6423 (1 page) 821 Forwarding (11 pages) 365-366, 382-386, 481, 530, 538, 566 Found in ordinary mail (4 pages) 490-492, 538 Fourth Assist PG (4 pages) 13-15, 201 Fourth-class mail (20 pages) 243, 284-293, 300-306, 361, 783 Franking privilege (25 pages) 337-354, 494-497, 540-541, 783 Fraudulent (3 pages) 332-333, 530 Free matter (25 pages) 337-354, 494-497, 540-541, 783 General delivery (4 pages) 379, 390-391, 416 Held for postage (6 pages) 327, 365-367, 405, 789 Hotel matter (3 pages) 401, 416, 418 Indemnity (14 pages) 486-488, 494, 553-557, 568-570, 837-838 Index (80 pages) 893-972 Infected mail (1 page) 359 Inquiries (13 pages) 409-414, 802, 832-837 Inspectors (5 pages) 23-27 Insufficiently paid mail (1 page) 800 Insured (12 pages) 13, 536, 559-565, 568-570 Internal revenue stamps (6 pages) 115-120 International mails (57 pages) 9-10, 368, 506, 791-792, 799-849 International rates Part II (2 pages) 800-801 International reply coupons (7 pages) 109-111, 113-115, 810 Key rate (2 pages) 251-252 Keys (1 page) 280 Letter boxes (18 pages) 238-242, 391-392, 439-444, 469-473 Letter carriers (58 pages) 425-473, 542-550 Library rate (2 pages) 288-289 Lotteries (5 pages) 331-332, 415-416, 424 Mail equipment (11 pages) 750-760 Mail messenger service (8 pages) 8, 703-709 Mailable matter (24 pages) 243-244, 306-327 Mailing (Receiving) offices (52 pages) 360-375, 491, 497-520, 772-773, 800-808 Marines' letters (3 pages) 243, 250, 773 Metered mail (2 pages) 295-296 Migratory bird hunting stamps (3 pages) 118-120 Misdirected (7 pages) 327, 366, 523-525, 787-788 Missent mail (4 pages) 376, 378, 523, 787 Money orders (55 pages) 12, 560, 566, 571-622 Money orders, domestic (44 pages) 571-599, 608-622 Money orders, International (10 pages) 599-608 Newspaper (2 pages) 784-785 Newspaper wrappers (2 pages) 104, 107 Nixies (2 pages) 789-790 Not in (2 pages) 491, 538 Obscene (6 pages) 328-330, 415-416, 424 Ocean mail service (4 pages) 838-841 Official matter (6 pages) 341-345, 400 Organization (68 pages) 4-71 Out of mails (3 pages) 665-666, 809 Parcel post (4 pages) 284-286, 800 Penalty envelopes (25 pages) 337-354, 494-497, 540-541, 783 Periodicals (2 pages) 400, 424 Possessions (4 pages) 243, 248, 285, 289 Post cards (6 pages) 245-246, 252, 401-402, 800 Post office hours (8 pages) 200-206, 360 Post offices (185 pages) 183-242, 360-484 Post roads (3 pages) 663-665 Postage due matter (8 pages) 280, 361, 377, 381-382, 417, 461-462 Postage due stamps (12 pages) 102, 109, 111, 113-115, 280, 381-382, 403, 405, 417 Postage stamps (11 pages) 101-105, 109-111, 113, 115, 418 Postal cards (17 pages) 101-105, 108-109, 113-115, 244-246, 249, 401-402, 800 Postal savings (42 pages) 11-12, 623-662 Postmarking (6 pages) 362-364, 531, 785-786 Postmaster (61 pages) 9, 183-242 Postmaster commissions (22 pages) 193-200, 212-223, 231, 233 Postmaster General duties (181 pages) 1-7, 183-242, 663-760, 799, 838-852 Prepayment (2 pages) 243, 249 Printed matter (3 pages) 282, 402, 424 (2 pages) 86-87 Private expresses (6 pages) 665-670 (70 pages) 8-9, 361, 670-698, 761-798 Rates, fees (42 pages) 243-250, 264-275, 279-280, 282, 286-290, 399, 405, 408, 421, 424, 474, 486-488, 490, 556, 563, 800-801 Receipt, registration or COD (5 pages) 491, 493, 558, 560, 807 Received in bad order (7 pages) 358, 524-527, 793-794 Receiving (Delivery) offices (53 pages) 377-406, 528-550 Refused mail (5 pages) 415-416, 531, 540-541 Registration, at delivery offices (23 pages) 528-550 Registration, at mailing offices (24 pages) 497-520 Registration, domestic mail (78 pages) 13, 378-379, 420, 464-465, 485-555, 794 Registration, fees (3 pages) 486-488 Registration, foreign mail (81 pages) 13, 378-379, 485-555, 801-807 Registration, indemnity (9 pages) 486-488, 494, 553-557 Reply-paid postal cards (3 pages) 109, 401-402 Reregistered after delivery (2 pages) 539-540 Restricted delivery (7 pages) 490-492, 532, 534-535, 537 Return postage guaranteed (1 page) 107 Return receipt (12 pages) 398, 400-401, 413, 491, 493, 498-499, 532, 558, 802, 809 Returned for better direction (2 pages) 366, 376 Returned mail (9 pages) 405-409, 538, 540-541, 568 Revenues (36 pages) 87-101, 131-151 Rural routes (34 pages) 8, 11, 446-473, 543-546 Sailors' letters (3 pages) 243, 250, 783 Samples of merchandise (1 page) 800 Scurrilous matter (4 pages) 328-329, 415-416 Sea Post offices (2 pages) 845-846 Second Assistant Postmaster General (4 pages) 8-11 Second-class mail (34 pages) 243, 251-279, 361, 783-785 Ship letters (2 pages) 250, 361 Short paid mail (19 pages) 249, 379-382, 461-462, 475, 530-531, 539, 788-789, 800, 805-807, 809- 810 Small packets (1 page) 800 Special delivery service (22 pages) 243, 378-379, 464-465, 473-484, 492-493, 788, 801, 807 Special delivery stamps (10 pages) 102, 109-111, 113-115, 473-475 (2 pages) 102, 288 Special handling stamps (2 pages) 102, 288 Special request envelopes (4 pages) 105-108 Stamped envelopes (11 pages) 101-105, 109-111, 113-115 Star routes (26 pages) 10, 722-746 Statutes (5 pages) 887-891 Table of contents (15 pages) i-xv Third Assistant Postmaster General (3 pages) 11-13 Third-class mail (9 pages) 279-284, 300-301, 361 Transient second-class rate (3 pages) 272, 405, 409 Transit mail (offices) (8 pages) 375-378, 492, 520-522 Transportation of the mails (98 pages) 663-760 Typewriting (3 pages) 244, 282-283 Unclaimed mail (8 pages) 365, 398-400, 415-418 Undeliverable mail (26 pages) 386-387, 401-409, 415-424, 473-474, 481, 530, 561 Underpaid mail (26 pages) 102, 249-250, 295, 327, 361, 364-368, 379-382, 461-462, 475, 788-789, 800, 805-807, 809-810 savings bonds (7 pages) 120-126 Unmailable matter (64 pages) 8, 284, 286, 305-336, 361, 364-368, 376-377, 386-387, 398-399, 415- 424, 788-789, 801, 824, 830-832 Unpaid mail (21 pages) 244, 295, 327, 361, 364-368, 379-382, 788-789, 800, 805-807, 809-810 Unsealed (7 pages) 358, 523, 525-527, 789, 798 Valuable letters (4 pages) 418, 420-422 Waybills (1 page) 808 Weight (10 pages) 263-264, 284-285, 294-297, 368, 789 Withdrawal of mail (7 pages) 368-370, 519-520, 812-813

§731 POSTAL LAW AND REGULATIONS

all expenses incurr a, and will dellvei" you the envelope (or wrapper) of the letter (or ot er article of mall matter) returned. I [Name.] ------· [Address.] ------· [Receipt.] celved ------_,__ --• ----· 19__ , of tlie postmaster the above-descrlb piece of mail m•tter for account of the sender. [Name.] .:+------· X [Address.] __ \._ __ ------· Witness [Name.] ______-+--· ' Note. NOTE. T'l>legrams sent in ctl cases must be pal~ for a the regular commerc al tates and not at he ~tes established tor otftcial!buslness. See s c. 2()94 as to retur of a tter by postal c,lerks up request of postma ter ; ·sec. 1292 as t recal of registered m~tter ; sec. 2228 as to recall f forei\ n matter. I

DISTRIBUTIO~ AND DISPATCH OF MAILS AT MAILING FFICES Distribution and 731. Postmas ers shall be governed in the distribution and dis-­ dispatch of mails. patch of mails at offices where a superintendent of mails is -to be gov­ not employed (see sec. 456) by the orders received from the erned by orders from General General Superintendent, Railway Mail Service, or from the division Superintendent, Railway Mail superintendent in whose division the post office may be located. Service. 2. In the absence of other instructions, postmasters whose -in absence of offices are situated upon a railroad shall send all mail direct to instructions. the cars, unless it be addressed to post offices directly connected with their own by star or steamboat routes. Postmasters at other post offices shall mail to the nearest post office upon a railroad all matter which cannot be sent direct to its destination by star or steamboat route. -postmasters 3. Postmasters at junction points shall never change the dis­ not to change dispatch with­ patch of mails from one road to another except upon orders from out special orders. the division superintendent. See sec. 2204 as to dispatch of foreign malls : Title Seven as to regis­ tered mall; sec. 724 as to dispatch of matter addressed to known county and State but unknown post otftce. Orders relative 732. Postmasters at offices of the first and second classes shall to makin1rup and di1patch. keep an order book In which all orders relating to the making up -how.~ept. and dispatching of mails at their offices, and changes in schemes which are received from division superintendents, Railway Mail Service, shall be inserted or recorded ; and distributing clerks shall be required to examine the same daily and, if necessary, to place their initials at the foot thereof to indicate such exam­ ination. ( See sec. 462.) Distribution of 733. PO'Stmasters shall carefully distribute and make up mails mails by ache mes. by the official schemes which may be furnished them and which shall be kept corrected, and shall conform to any changes that may be made in the same by the proper division superintendent of Railway Mall Service, and shall make up and exchange only such pouches as he may order. Any post office may be excepted from this requirement by the division superintendent. - not to be 2. No change in distribution or diflpatch of malls shall be made changed with­ out authority. without ftrst obtaining authority from the proper division super­ intendent of Railway Mail Service, except in cases of emer­ gency ; and In all such cases an immediate report, giving the reasons for such change, shall be made to the division superin­ tendent. 370 TITLE V.-TREATMENT OF MAIL MATI'ER IN POST OFFICES §737

734. A distribution or separation should be made only of such Distribution of malla by Statee, -mail for States or portions of States as can be advanced thereby. etc. All mail for States of which no distribution is made shall be made up "by States," and facing slips used as provided in ·section Mail to be 741; letter and circular mail for each State shall be made up in made up in packages, and other mail in canvas sacks by itself when the packages by States. quantity is sufficient, and the name of the State marked on the slip used as a label for the package or sack. (See secs. 541 and 740.) 735. Post offices on railway post-<>ffice lines, in making up local Local mall for railroad and mail for such lines, shall send by each train by which a dispatch steamboat lines. is made all mail which can be expedited by such trains. When sent by railway post-office trains, the mail for near-by stations shall be made up in a separate package and placed under a fac­ -to be made up In packages. ing slip addressed to the and train and, in addition, be marked "No. 1" to indicate that it is for immediate distribution. Any mail for the remaining offices on the line proper to be forwarded shall be included in a package addressed to the railway post office and train and marked "No. 2." Mail for States for which distribution is not required and not in suf­ :llcient quantity to be made up in separate packages shall be com­ bined in a package addressed to the railway post office and train and marked "No. 8." 2. If the quantity of mail is not sufficient to warrant these --exception. separations, it shall be combined in one package addressed to the railway post office and train, the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 8 sepa­ rations to be arranged in sequence. 736. Mail for delivery and mail for distributio.n at a post office Letters for de­ livery and dis­ shall be made up in separate packages, unless special authority tribution. to combine it is given. 737. A direct package shall be made up by placing all letters Direct paekaa-es. for one post office in a package by themselves, all faced one -how made way, with a plainly addressed letter on the outside and a facing up. slip bearing the postmark of the office and the name or number of the person making up the package on the back of the same, faced out. 2. Ordinary letters, other than air mail and special delivery, - · shall be tied out in direct packages when there are 10 or more pieces for one post office, railway post office, or route, except when requests are received from the proper division superintendent of the Railway Mail Service for the tying out of directs containing less than 10 pieces. All air mail letters shall be made up in separate packages when there are five or more involved. Less than five for connecting lines shall be placed at the top of the work­ ing package under the registered and special delivery letters, if any, with facing slip endorsed to show air mail is included, or similarly at the top of a direct package if no further air mail dispatch can be had. See section 1081 as to special-delivery mail, and section 1223 as to registered mall.

371 §738 POSTAL LAW$ AND REGULATIONS

Mail not to be 738. Letter and circular mail shall be properly "faced up" and atin poach r.oose or under tied in packages and not placed loose in the pouch or sack. otrapa. 2. After pouches are closed and dispatched from a post -notice to 'messenger in office, letters shall not be placed under the strap or attached to case of. the outside of the pouch. When this is done at the station the postmaster shall inform the mail messenger that the practice must be discontinued. Restrictions as 739. Postmasters shall not make up through pouches to be dis­ to make-up of throairh patched by mail trains unless specially instructed to do so. poache•, Limit of welcht 740. Not more than 100 pounds of mail matter shall be placed of aacb of mail. in a sack. 2. A may be used for a separation of third- and fourth-class matter only when the bulk or volume exceeds one­ SacksJ when used ror sep­ third the capacity of a No. 1 sack unless necessary to materially arations. advance the mails and no intermediate distributing unit is avail­ able. See sec. 541, par. 14, as to using mall sacks for second-class matter. Faclll&' 11ip1. -to be used on 741. Upon each package of letters or circulars, and in the label packages and holder of each pouch or canvas sack of newspapers, special­ pouches. delivery and special-handling matter, shall be placed a facing slip or label bearing the postmark of the office with date and time of closing or d~spatch, the name or number of the person making up the package, pouch, or sack, and addressed as pro­ vided in section 2078. . The labels used for the dispatch of canvas sacks containing circulars, parcel post, and ordinary papers shall be stamped to show the date and the closing hour of the period of duty to which the clerk making distribution and dispatch is assigned. In terminal railway post offices the date and number of the tour with the name of the clerk shall be shown. See sec. 758 as to filing and disposing of facing slips received. 2. Only one label shall be placed on each letter package and in the label holder of each pouch or sack. Circular matter 742. When it is necessary to send circular matter inclosed in In canvas aacka. how labeled. envelopes similar to those used to cover business letters, in canvas sacks, the label upon the sacks shall read, in addition to the regular address, "Circulars." 2. When direct packages of circulars are made and the quan­ tity for any post office warrants a separate sack, it should be made and labeled as stated in paragraph 1, but when the quantity is insufficient for separate sacks, the packages should be combined in State sacks and labeled "Circular Directs" in addition to the State. Sack containlnc 743. Every sack C()ntaining perishable parcel-post matter shall ''Perishable'' parcel po1t, how have attached thereto a distinctive tag bearing appropriate let· marked. tering, including the word "Perishable," in conspicuous type. U1eof hooks be prohibited. 744. Hooks shall not used in handling mail . Record of 745. Postmasters shall keep a permanent record of all pouches pouchea dispatched. due to be dispatched, except where only one pouch is dispatched at a time, and such pouches shall be checked off on the record

372 TITLE V.-TREATMENT OF MAIL MATTER IN POST OFFICES §747 when dispatched, so that accurate and specific information can be furnish~ in regard to any losses or delays to mail in transit. See sec. 762 as to record of pouches at post oftlces; see. 1734 as to record by railroad companies ; see. 1779 as to mall messengers ; see. 2065 as to railway postal clerks and as to numbering a series of pouches in the same dispatch. 746. Postmasters shall dispatch first-class mail to railway post Dispatch of ftrat-claH mat­ offices in the lock pouches pr.ovided for that purpose. ter to railway poatoftices. 2. When any mall matter ls received too late to be put in the -In pouches. lock pouch, the postmaster or sworn assistant or clerk may, -by hand, when. after postmarking and canceling the same, deliver it in person to the railway postal clerk. 8. After the stamps are canceled upon any mall matter it shall -by private person, after not be returned to the person mailing it to be taken to a railway cancellation, post office. forbidden. See see. 708 as to canceling stamps at railroad stations. 747. On each star route there shall be used one locked pouch Locked poachea and direct pack­ • which shall be opened at every post office. If the amount of mail airee on star is not too large, it shall all be carried in such pouch. roate1. 2. All mail matter of the first class carried on star routes shall What matter In locked be inclosed in locked pouches ; other mail matter shall also be pouches. included in the locked pouches unless the quantity or bulk is too great, in which case it shall be carried outside of bags 'Or in tie sacks. '- 3. On any star or mail messenger route where more than one post When locked pouches to·be office is supplied, whenever, in the ju«Jiment of the proper Division used. Superintendent of Railway Mail Service, conditions justify, he may order a direct Jocked pouch or pouches to be made up by rail­ way post offices or by supply post offices on the route for one or more of the post offices supplied, with proper return pouches when necessary, all such pouches to be properly labeled and not to be opened by any other office. Such pouches shali not con­ tain registered matter unless specially ordered by the division superintendent. In every case where registered matter is to be included in such direct pouches, the division superintendent shall submit through official channels to the Third Assistant Post­ master General, Division of Registered Malls, for approval a report of all the facts, including the date on which the service was ordered to begin and the extent to which registered matter may be involved, and if such registered matter is of considerable value, it shall not be dispatched in such direct pouches until the service is authorized by the Third Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Registered Mails. 4. In making up mail to be dispatched on a star route, all Tying in packages. letter mail for each office shall be tied out in a direct package (see sec. 737) ; all other mail matter for each office shall be tied out in packages in a similar manner as far as practicable. 5. Mail to be dispatched from an office on a star route to Mail dis­ patched beyond points beyond the terminal office thereon shall be made up, as terminal oftlce, how distrib­ far as possible, "by States" (see sec. 784) ; or if not sufficient uted. for that, then in one package with the name of the terminal post office marked on the slip covering the same and the abbre- 373 §748 POSTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS

viation "Dis." to indicate that the package is for distribution. 6. Star route pouches dispatched by post offices shall be labeled "Way pouch from (name of office of origin) to the (name of terminal office)," for the outward trip and in reverse order for the inward trip. Note. NOT&-"Locked pouches," as used in this section, include horse mail bags as well as mail pouches. See sec. 1822 as to meaning of "star route" ; Title Seven as to regis­ tered mail: secs. 1863 to 1901 as to mail bags, locks, and keys, and use thereof. Delivery to car­ 748. Postmasters shall not, except in cases of emergency, de­ riers in ad­ vance of sched­ liver mail to carriers in advance of schedule time without ex­ ule time pro­ hibited. press permission from the Post Office Department, nor permit the mail to be taken from the post office on the evening before schedule day for departure to be kept in a private house over­ night. Unofficial in­ dorsementa on 749. Employees in the Postal Service shall not place personal or mail matter unofficial indorsements or messages of any kind upon mail matter forbidden. handled by them in their official capacity.

EXCHANGE OF MAILS AT CATCHER POST OFFICES

Mail catchers 750. Mail catchers and cranes shall be used for the purpose of and cranes. -when used. exchanging mails between post offices and railway post offices when trains do not stop at the stations. Preparation 2. ·At such stations mail pouches for railway post offices shall and hanging of pouches on be hung on the mail crane not exceeding 10 minutes before the mail cranes. time of arrival of the train. Special pouches 3. Canvas mail pouches, provided specially for catcher ex­ to be used. changes (see secs. 1863 and 1865) , and po others, shall be used. Arrangement 4. When only a small amount of mail is to be dispatched, the of mail in pouck. pouch shall be strapped .tightly around the center and the mail placed in the top of the pouch, but when a large mail is to · be sent it shall be divided about equally between top and bottom. The strap shall be buckled around the center of the pouch. In case the strap is missing, the middle of the pouch shall be tied. The pouch shall be hung lock end down. Light on crane 5. When the exchange of mails occurs at night and a lamp is at night. not affixed to the crane and kept in order as provided in section 1747, the Chief Clerk of Railway Mail Service shall be notified. Mail on crane 6. The person charged with the duty of affixing pouches to to be watched. mail cranes shall watch the pouch until it is caught by the passing railway post office, or if there is a failure to catch the pouch be shall deliver it to the post office, and the postmaster -postmaster shall immediately report the failure (either to catch or deliver to report irregUlarities. the mail) to the Chief Clerk, Railway Mail Service, giving prob­ able cause of failure. Extra pouch to 7. When a pouch is not caught from a mail crane, and a be returned. pouch is put oft. the train, the extra pouch shall be returned by -how the next mail train. The regular and extra pouches shall be strapped or tied together at the middle as one pouch.

374