Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 45 Part 1.djvu/744

 SEVENTIETH CONGRESS. SEss. I. CH. 675. 1928 . 693 requ iremen ts nec essary to pr ovide an adeq uate p ostal servic e betw een such ports. RECOMMENDATIONS BY SHIPP ING BOARD SEC. 403 . The board shall, as soon as practicable after receipt of such certification from the Postmaster General, determine and certify to him the type, size, speed, and other characteristics of the vessels which should be employed on each such route, the frequency and regularity of their sailings, and all other facts which bear upon the capacity of the vessels to meet the requirements of the service stated by the Postmaster General. The board in making its determination shall take into consideration the desirability of having the mail service performed by vessels constructed in accordance with the latest and most approved types, with modern improvements and appliances. AUTH ORITY T O MAKE CONTRACTS SEC. 404. The Postmaster General is authorized to enter into contracts with citizens of the United States whose bids are accepted, for the carrying of mails between ports (exclusive of ports in the Dominion of Canada other than ports in Nova Scotia) between which it is lawful under the navigation laws for a vessel not docu- mented under the laws of the United States to carry merchandise. He s hall i nclude in su ch con tracts such r equire ments and co nditio ns as in his best judgment will insure the full and efficient performance thereof and the protection of the interests of the Government. Per- formance under any such contract shall begin not more than three years after th e contrac t is let, and the term of the contr act shall not exceed ten years. VESSELS Recommendat ions by Board. Det ermi nat ion of type, etc., of vessels, sailings, etc. Latest and most ap- proved types, etc . Contracts. Pos tmaste r General may make, with Ameri- can citizens for carrying foreign mails. Requireme nts and conditions. Term, etc. Vessels. SEC. 405 . (a) The vessels employed in ocean mail service under a Steel vessels. contract made under this title shall be steel vessels, shall be steam or motor vessels, and shall be either American-built and re is- American built and tered under the laws of the United (1) ttes during the entire time reg`stered ' of such employment, or (2) registered under the laws of the United than Febudary later States not later than February 1, 1928, and so registered during Under construction the entire time of such employment, or (3) actually ordered and for American citizens. unde r cons tructi on for the a ccount of cit izens of the Unite d Stat es prior to February 1, 1928, and registered under the laws of the United States during the entire time of such employment . Cons tructi on her e- (b) A vessel for the services of which a contract is entered into after with reference to under authority of this title, and the construction of which is here- use by the Navy after begun, shal l be e ither (1) a vessel constructed, according to plans and s pecifi cation s appr oved b y the S ecreta ry of the Na vy, wi th particular reference to economical conversion into an auxiliary naval emerg ency. national vessel, or (2) a vessel which will be otherwise useful to the United States in time of national emergency. (c) From and after the enactment of this Act all licensed officers Licensed officers to be American citizens. of vessels documented under the laws of the United States, as now Citizenship of crew. required by law, shall be citizens of the United States after the enactment of this Act and for a period of four years, upon each departure from the United States of a vessel employed in ocean mail service under this title, one-half of the crew (crew including all employees of the ship other than officers) shall be citizens of the United States and, thereafter, two-thirds of the crew as above defined shall be citizens of the United States.
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