Part 9

2. With each report send a sketch or tracing from the Post Office Map of your Division, showing all the offices affected by the proposed arrangements, denoting the lines of existing routes which it is recommended should be discontinued in blue, and the new routes which it is recommended should be established in red.

3. All changes in Mail Services should--except in very special cases--take effect on the first day of each mouth.

CONTRACTS FOR MAIL SERVICES.

1. For every Mail Service there should be a written contract or memorandum of agreement, which should be made out and executed in triplicate, one copy being for the Department at Ottawa, one for the contractor, and one for yourself.

2. All contracts for Mail Services should be made so as to terminate at the end of a quarter, or if that is not possible, at the end of a month.

3. The contracts terminating at the end of each quarter should be entered in the record of expiration of contracts, a page or two pages in this book as may be required, being appropriated for each quarter.

4. Six months previous to the expiration of the contracts, the usual printed circular should be issued to the Postmaster at each of the termini of the several routes, asking whether any improvements can be made in the service.

5. Should any change be desirable a report should be made thereon to the Postmaster General, at least one month previous to the preparation of the notices inviting tenders for a new contract.

6. Four months before the expiration of each Quarter separate reports should be made to the Postmaster General.

1. Of all contracts expiring at the end of the next ensuing Quarter in which no change of mail service is proposed.

2. Of all contracts expiring at the end of the next ensuing Quarter in which an alteration is recommended.

These reports should be accompanied by the usual notices of advertisement inviting tenders.

7. All advertisements for tenders and all contracts for Mail Services should be carefully prepared, it being borne in mind that nothing more than what is expressed therein can be legally enforced.

The advertisements should be dated a fortnight later than the date of their transmission to the Department.

8. There should be at least six weeks between the date of the advertisements and the date up to which tenders for the service are receivable, and at least eight weeks between the day fixed on for the reception of tenders and the date on which they are to take effect.

9. Duplicates of the notices inviting tenders for Mail Services, should be fyled in the Guard Book provided for that purpose.

10. When the notices have received the approval of the Postmaster General, one copy at least should be sent to each office on the route to be advertised, to be posted up in a conspicuous place in the office for the public information, and as many copies as may be considered necessary to the office at each terminus.

11. The usual forms of tender should also be supplied to Postmasters at those places where these forms of tender will probably be enquired for by parties proposing for the service.

12. Unless there is any good and sufficient objection, contracts for Mail Services must be made with parties whose tenders, being the lowest, have been accepted.

13. It should, however, be ascertained that the party proposing to undertake the service is able satisfactorily to perform it, and that the sureties he names are good and sufficient for the penalty of the required bond.

14. In the event of there being any serious objection to entering into a contract with the parties whose tenders have been accepted, full particulars of the objection should at once be reported to the Postmaster General, and application made for the next lowest tender.

15. Full particulars should also be promptly furnished to the Postmaster General of the action taken on tenders forwarded to you for acceptance on certain conditions, or in cases where none of the tenders received have been accepted in consequence of the high prices demanded.

16. In dealing with accepted tenders for mail services, and in making out the contract therefor, the greatest possible promptness should be observed.

17. Contracts for Mail Services should be very carefully prepared, and no contract should be forwarded for the signature of the Postmaster General unless correct in all its terms and provisions.

18. The contract should specify all the offices served en route.

19. All contracts sent for the Postmaster General's signature must be accompanied by the printed form or letter, in which should be entered separately and alphabetically:--

1. Contracts entered into without change of service;

2. Contracts for new services.