Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 39 Part 1.djvu/182

 SIXTY-F OURT H CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 126. 1916. 161 Sec. 4. That when, during a weighing period, on account of iioods }g*d {*¤¤ or other causes, interruptions in service occur on railroad routes and rm-, when weagamgpaili the weights of mail are decreased below the normal, or where there $Y“"“° by °°°°‘· is an omission to take weights, the Postmaster General, for the purpose of readjusting compensation on such railroad routes as are ' affected thereby, is herea ter authorized, in his discretion, to add to éswtaininz ¤vme¤ the weights of mails ascertained on such routes during that part of w°’gh°”` the weighing riod when conditions are shown to have been normal the estimatedpiiweights for that part of the weighin period when conditions are shown to have been not normal, or where there has been an omission to take weights, based upon the average of weights taken during that part of the we' hing period during which conditions are shown to have been norma.l,liihe actual weights and the estimated B“iS ‘°' ¥’“Y· weights to form the basis for the average weight per day u n which to readiust the compensation according to law on sucliorailroad routes or the transportation of the mails, notwithstanding the gpovision of the Act o Congress approved March third, nineteen hun- Vol- 33. n-1¤88- ed and tive, requiring that the average weight shall be ascertained by the actual weighing of themails for such a number of successive working days, not less thamnixietiy, as the Postmaster General may direct: Provided further, That rea justments fromiluly first, nineteen Prvvm hundred and thirteen, ma bemade under this provision on routes .¤‘§§*£°§l§l°}>°§,§°{‘;§'§? in the first section atfectedliy. thefloods in the Ohio Vallei and tribu- ‘°Y "°°“·—*°“’· tary territories,] commencing about March twenty—iift, nineteen h"§fZ‘°d “i‘§§lSh“l°““t ri e- { resi km D M I c.5,_ tsomuc 0_S6Cl0H ouro ‘ ctma appropria- ?"° ° ¤*°*9· · tions for the service of the Post Office Department for thi iigiial Iyear t¤»i;i]·ii;i¤¤ii~]ciiu°“`n°° ending June thirtieth, nineteen hundred and thirteen, and for other WL 37* *" 55* purposes/’ approved August twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and two ve, as provides that no adjustment shall be made unless the diverted mails equal at least ten Hper centum of the average daily weight on any of the routes affect is herebly repealed. Sec. 6. That section thirt -niue hundre and forty-nine of the §f*§f’f“§f,',‘f°‘g‘,;,,,’ ,,_ Revised Statutes be amended to read as follows: 7¤¤.¤¤¤•¤<M· "All contracts for carrying the mail shall be in the name of the M$;%"d°c'gn;9 ¤g¤·¤j* United States and shall be awarded to the lowest bidder tendering vsmmifsur. mg °°" sufficient aranties for faithful performance in accordance with the terms of gil; advertisement: Provided, however, That such contracts gang; c mm require due celerity, certainty, and security m the performance of me sebuiity rgequireiii the service; but the Postmaster General shall not be bound to consider the bid of any person who has willfully or negligently failed to perform a former contract." Sm mm bm Sec. 7. That whenever in the judgment of the Postmaster General squmruqtstrwsr the bids received for any star route are exorbitant or unreasonable, or §,:'n{’°§,jf *”‘*’ °‘°"“‘ whenever he has reason to believe that a combination of bidders has ' been entered into to fix the rate for star·route service, the Postmaster General be, and he is hereby, authorized, out of the appropriation for inland transportation b star routes, to employ and use such means or methods to provide the desired service as he may deem expedient, without reference to existing law or laws respecting the cmp oyment of personal service or the procurement of conveyances, materials, or su lies. giizc. 8. That whenever an accepted bidder shall fail to enter into ¤p'1iZii1¤i’rii»i°2i?€‘i»°¤1i?;z°Zi<i contract, or a contractor on any mail route shall fail or refuse to per- ‘“‘*d°‘· form the service on said route according to his contract, or when a new route shall be established or new service reqtured, or when, from any other cause, there shall not be a contractor egally bound or required ,. to perform such service, the Postmaster Genera may snake a temporary contract for carrying the mail on such route, without adver— mmmmta. tisement, for such period as may be necessary, not m any case exceed- 91890°—vo1. 39-—r·r 1-—11