Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 74.djvu/737

 74

STAT.]

PUBLIC LAW 86-682-SEPT. 2, 1960

(4) delivery and collection service may not be established or extended under a star route contract if a majority of the patrons on the route has been served by a rural delivery route for which a qualified rural carrier can be obtained; and (5) if possible, mail consigned between an airport and a post office at which there is Government-owned motor vehicle service, shall be transported by Government-owned motor vehicles, when the distance is not more than 35 miles. (b) Subsection (a)(5) of this section does not prohibit the transportation of mail by helicopter or similar aircraft between airports and post offices. § 6403. Mail messenger and contract motor vehicle service (a) Subject to subsection (a)(5) of section 6402 of this title, the Postmaster General may enter into informal agreements for mail messenger service without term or into formal contracts for motor vehicle service for the carriage of mail in connection with transportation service in cases where, by law or the regulations of the Department, rail, air, water and other carriers are not required to deliver into and take from postal facilities the mails carried by them. The Postmaster General may use such service as transfer service between such points as he deems necessary including service within, between and among carriers, depots, airports, piers, post offices, branch post offices or stations or other postal facilities and over bridges and ferries. (b) Postmasters, officers, and employees, may enter into agreements for the performance of mail messenger service when the Postmaster General determines that the performance of the service will not interfere with their regular duties or with the operations of the postal service. Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section the total amount payable under an agreement may not exceed $900 in any one year. (c) Special delivery messengers at post offices of all classes may enter into agreements for mail messenger service without regard to the amount payable in any one year. § 6404. Sea post service The Postmaster General may maintain sea post service on ocean vessels conveying mail to and from the United States. § 6405. Duration of contracts (a) The Postmaster General may make contracts for the transportation of mail by vessel between the United States and foreign ports for terms of not more than two years. When the foreign office is not more than 200 miles from the domestic office he may make contracts for domestic and foreign transportation of mail by vessels, combined in one route, for terms of not more than four years. He may make other contracts for the transportation of mail for four-year terms. (b) This section does not apply to mail messenger service or to contracts made under sections 6408, 6413, 6415, 6427 of this title. § 6406. Termination of contracts for foreign transportation Contracts for the transportation of mail by vessel between the United States and a foreign port shall be made subject to cancellation by the Postmaster General or the Congress. § 6407. Extension of contracts (a) The Postmaster General may continue in force beyond its express terms any regular contract for the transportation of mail until a new contract is made, but not longer than six months. (b) This section does not apply to temporary contracts made under section 6415 of this title.

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