sent to the postmaster at the headquarters of the division superintendent or to such office as the division superintendent may designate. Nixies consisting of parcels marked "perishable" shall be turned into the terminal post office. Nixies must be postmarked on the back and covered by a slip addressed as heretofore instructed, with the word "Nixies" in the upper left corner.

2. The following exceptions, however, will be observed:

(a) Mail addressed to military or naval posts and stations of the Weather Bureau and Life Saving Service which are not post offices shall be sent to the proper post office, if known.

(b) Mail addressed to discontinued post offices shall be sent as directed in the order of discontinuance. Mail, etc., addressed to offices whose names have been changed shall be sent to the office of the new name. Mail addressed to watering places and summer resorts which are not post offices shall be sent to the nearest post office known.

(c) Mail from the Post Office Department addressed to new post offices, marked on the envelope "New office," will be sent to destinations in the best manner practicable, in the absence of definite instructions.

(d) Nixies which reach a line from which they can be delivered shall be delivered to the proper post office.

(e) Nixies mailed upon a line addressed to a local to that line shall be delivered to the post office which has been designated to receive mail so addressed.

(f) Matter addressed to a post office without the name of the State being given, which is known to be intended for the principal city of that name, shall be forwarded accordingly.

(g) Matter addressed to a place not a post office but bearing the name of a known county and State shall be examined by a clerk on a line making distribution of that State by general scheme. If then not known, it shall be forwarded to the county seat of the county addressed.

(h) When mail matter addressed to a place which is not a post office contains upon it a direction to send via a post office the matter shall be sent to the post office indicated.

(i) Mail of foreign origin addressed to persons in the United States is to be treated in the same manner as domestic mail. (j) Mail shall not be treated as nixies on account of incorrect spelling when the destination is undoubted.

(k) All matter supposed to be nixies must be verified with the latest annual and monthly Postal Guide and general orders.

(7) When second-class matter improperly addressed is received clerks must not change the address or course of the package, but shall treat it in accordance with the regulations.

3. When mail matter is treated as nixies and the address thereon is found in the latest annual or monthly Postal Guide or in the general orders, it shall be noted as an error on the slip accompanying the same and charged against the clerk.

Sec. 1560. When mail matter addressed to foreign countries is specially addressed to go by way of a particular vessel, steamship line, or route, railway postal clerks shall forward the same accordingly, as far as practicable.

Sec. 1561. When mail matter addressed to foreign countries other than Canada is received in mails from Canadian offices made up for distribution, postal clerks shall forward such mails in accordance with the foreign scheme applicable to mails of domestic origin for the foreign countries involved.

Sec. 1562. Clerks in railway post offices exchanging mail with Canada shall carefully examine all Canadian mails, and turn into the nearest exchange post office or other designated post office where there is a customhouse officer all books and merchandise known or supposed to be liable to customs duty, and all musical compositions in any form found in such mails. (See sec. 632.)

Sec. 1563. Closed mails for foreign countries made up at United States exchange post offices, and those of foreign origin and destination' in transit through the United States, and diplomatic pouches dispatched from Washington, D. C., shall be accompanied with waybills showing the number, origin, and address of the sacks.

2. This section shall not apply to mails regularly exchanged between the United States and Canada or Mexico, but closed mails passing through the United States to or from Canada or Mexico shall be accompanied with waybills.

3. Waybills shall be prepared by the first United States post office of receipt, and the mails shall be checked therefrom by all railway postal clerks who handle them, except that where it is impracticable to check such mails while in transit in a car, it will be sufficient to check them when loaded into the car and again when unloaded therefrom. Any shortage shall be reported. If a railway postal clerk receives such mails without a waybill, he shall note the failure on trip or daily report and make a waybill on the required form. (See sec. 624.)

4. All foreign sealed sacks made up abroad and labeled to United States post offices, and direct sacks made up in sea post

offices and addressed to a United States post office, shall be forwarded intact to their destination, to be opened only in the post office to which they are addressed. This paragraph does not apply to mails made up in foreign countries for the United States, which sea post offices maintained on ocean steamships may be ordered to open.

Sec. 1564. Letter mail shall be forwarded in locked pouches except that exchanged with Canada, Cuba, and Mexico, which shall be inclosed in sealed sacks. A pouch duly locked shall be exchanged if due at each local and terminal office whether or not there is any letter mail.

Sec. 1565. At local stations where train does not stop for exchange of mails and no special facilities have been provided either for making the delivery or for receipt of the mail by roadside device, it must not be merely pushed over sill of door but shall be thrown off downward and outward to a distance sufficient to be clear of the train. Catcher pouches only shall be used, except in cases of emergency. The clerk shall notify postmaster by return mail where there has been a failure to catch

2. Division superintendents shall issue special instructions regarding the point of delivery of mails at catcher or local stations to prevent accidents.

3. Mail shall not be thrown on a station platform from a train in motion, except by special instructions of the division superintendent. The utmost care shall be taken in deliveries to avoid injury to person, mail, equipment, or property. When the amount of mail is greater than one clerk can deliver with safety it must be divided and put out from different doors.

4. Registered boxes and fragile or other parcel-post matter for local stations, the size or form prohibiting it being thrown from a moving train, should be put off at a point where the train does stop, for delivery by a local train. (See sec. 938.)

NOTE 1. Clerks shall assure themselves that every pouch is securely locked before its dispatch by testing the lock with the hand.

2. Clerks shall not attempt to exchange mails by hand at meeting points unless a safe delivery can be made while both trains are standing. 3. It is the duty of clerks to see that the mails are properly separated before arriving at the terminus of the run, and at all intermediate stations where separation is necessary. Railroad employees are required to handle and transfer the mail, but it shall be put out of the car in such a way and such instructions given that connections can be promptly made. These instructions apply to return mails also, especially when put off at other than the usual point of dispatch.

Sec. 1566. When a request is received by a railway postal clerk from a postmaster, post-office inspector, division superintendent, or chief clerk to withdraw certain unregistered matter

from the mails and return it to the office of origin, such request shall be complied with, and a record thereof, giving the address on the letter or other matter, return card, postmark, etc., be made on the trip report, and the original telegram or letter requesting the withdrawal be transmitted with the report. If the matter requested is not in the office, a telegram to that effect shall be sent and the proper record made on the trip report. Sec. 1567. Railway postal clerks shall not make delivery at the postal car of mail in transit, although it be known to them that the applicant therefor is the person named in the address, except as provided in sections 582, 1538, and 1571.

Sec. 1568. The General Superintendent may assign railway postal clerks, when necessary, to perform duty at important junctions, to be designated "transfer clerks."

2. Transfer clerks shall supervise the handling and transfer of mails at railroad depots where they are stationed; keep themselves correctly informed of the routes over which mails should pass that are transferred at that point, of the time of arrival and departure of all trains upon which mails are carried, and the mail space authorized and space needed on such trains; notify their chief clerk or division superintendent in writing of any changes of schedules which affect mail connections; and perform such other work (such as filling runs, furnishing supplies, etc.) as may be directed.

3. Transfer clerks will keep informed as to the current space authorizations in the several trains departing from the railroad depots at which they are stationed; supervise the loading of storage cars; keep a record of the space used in closed-pouch trains; and issue requests for such additional space as may be required.

Sec. 1570. Transfer clerks may be required to accompany the mails while being conveyed by wagon service when considered necessary.

Sec. 1571. Transfer clerks when specially instructed by the General Superintendent may deliver mail to the party addressed.

Sec. 1572. Transfer and terminal railway post-office clerks shall carefully observe the manner of performance of messenger and wagon service and the handling of mails by railroad employees, and report to the chief clerk every irregularity therein which comes to their knowledge.

2. Wagons delivering mail shall not be allowed to depart until they have been carefully inspected to ascertain whether any mail has been left therein, and departing wagons containing mails shall be examined to see that they are securely locked.

Sec. 1574. The rooms assigned for use of transfer offices and terminal railway post offices shall be kept clean and orderly. Economy in the use of water and lights shall be exercised. Government and other property shall be kept in good order. Locks, equipment, and supplies must not be allowed to lie about promiscuously.

Sec. 1575. In addition to these special instructions for transfer and terminal railway post-office clerks, they shall also be governed by the general instructions to railway postal clerks when applicable.

Sec. 1577. Railway postal clerks shall carefully study and become fully conversant with the regulations and instructions pertaining to the handling of registered matter. (Also see Official Postal Guide.) These shall be strictly complied with except where clearly inapplicable.

Sec. 1578. An experienced member of the crew shall be assigned as registry clerk who shall have the care and custody of all registered mail received and dispatched from his car, and shall be in waiting when pouches are opened or closed to take charge of any registered matter that may be dispatched or contained therein. If he is compelled to leave the car temporarily, or before the end of the run, he shall have permission to do so from the clerk in charge; and before leaving the car he shall turn over the registered matter to the person designated by the clerk in charge, taking a receipt for the same.

Sec. 1579. Transfer clerks shall receipt for, transfer, and deliver registered matter. When such delivery is made, the registered articles shall be entered in a record book which will be furnished for that purpose, and a receipt obtained from the postmaster or postal clerk to whom the articles are delivered.

Sec. 1580. (a) All new full and apartment railway postoffice cars shall be constructed of steel or equally indestructible material, and shall conform to the departmental specifications approved January 2, 1929, and any subsequent modifications thereof.

(b) All railway post-office cars and apartments in cars shall conform to standard floor plans and to the specifications referred to in preceding paragraph with regard to type and arrangement of fixtures, including lighting and heating, drinking-water containers, hoppers, lavatories, etc.

(c) Under the provisions of the act of August 24, 1912, all new full railway post-office cars accepted for service shall be constructed of steel, except that steel-underframe full cars in