facilitate work of boards. 3. Postmasters shall allow clerks who are members of Postmasters to the local board of civil-service examiners ample time to civil-service attend to their duties as members of such boards during the regular office hours, upon proper notice and application, and shall in every way facilitate the work of the Civil Service Commission. * Sec. 311. * * Clerks in first and second class post offices shall Clerks in post offices. be required to work not more than eight hours a day: Provided, That hours of servthe eight hours of service shall not extend over a longer period than ice. ten consecutive hours, and the schedules of duty of the employees shall § 5; 37'Stat., 554. be regulated accordingly. * 1912, Aug. 21, 2. In cases of emergency, or if the needs of the service require, -overtime. clerks in first and second class post offices can be required to work in excess of eight hours a day, and for such additional services they shall be paid extra in proportion to their salaries as fixed by law. 3. Should the needs of the service require the employment on Sun--compensat or y day of ** * clerks in first and second class post offices, the emtime for Sunday service. ployees who are required and ordered to perform Sunday work shall be allowed compensatory time on one of the six days following the Sunday on which they perform such service. 4. The time recorder shall be used by clerks, carriers, Time recorders. and all other employees, excepting assistant postmasters, cashiers, superintendents of delivery, superintendents of mails, superintendents of money order, and superintendents of registry, in reporting for duty, on leaving for and returning from trips or meals, and at the close of the day's work. The record taken from the time recorder shall constitute the official time record, and all other methods of time keeping (except carriers' trip reports) shall be discontinued. IV. CLERICAL ASSISTANCE AT OFFICES OF THE THIRD * Third-class of fices. 1912, Aug. 24; 37 Stat., 544. Sec. 312. For allowances to third-class post offices to cover the cost of clerical service * * Provided, That no allowance in ex-clerk hire. cess of three hundred dollars shall be made where the salary of the postmaster is one thousand dollars, one thousand one hundred dollars, or one thousand two hundred dollars, nor in excess of four hundred dollars where the salary of the postmaster is one thousand three hundred dollars, one thousand four hundred dollars, or one thousand five hundred dollars; and no allowance in excess of five hundred dollars shall be made where the salary of the postmaster is one thousand six hundred dollars or one thousand seven hundred dollars; nor in excess of eight hundred dollars where the salary of the postmaster is one thousand eight hundred dollars or one thousand nine hundred dollars: And provided further, That the Postmaster General may, in the disbursement of this appropriation, expend not exceeding four hundred thou sand dollars for the employment, at a maximum salary of six hundred -assistant post-dollars per annum, of assistant postmasters at post offices of the third class where the salary of the postmaster is one thousand eight hundred dollars or one thousand nine hundred dollars per annum. masters. Allowances for clerk hire at dis * Sec. 313. The Postmaster General may designate offices at the tributing offices intersection of mail routes as distributing or separating offices; and * where any such office is of the third (or) fourth * class he may make a reasonable allowance to the postmaster for the necessary cost of clerical services arising from`such duties. of third and -applicationsfor. -at post offices of third and fourth intersection of mail routes. 2. Applications for allowances for clerical assistance at separating offices of the third and fourth classes shall be made to the First Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Salaries and Allowances, stating the amount of mail handled for other offices and the reasons why help is necessary in order to attend properly to such distribution. 3. Post offices of the third and fourth classes located classes located at at the intersection of mail routes may be allowed clerk hire out of the appropriation for separating mails, upon the application of the postmaster. Such allowances shall be based upon the average amount of ordinary mail in transit daily, and the average number of registry pieces in transit monthly, one registry transit being regarded as equivalent to 30 pieces of ordinary mail. 4. Allowances for separating mails shall be made substantially in accordance with the following scale, and in no case shall the allowance exceed the maximum amount fixed under the scale, but it shall be graded according to the condition of the appropriation for separating mails and for clerk hire for third-class post offices. Allowances for separating mails. ances. Scale of allow- 5. Where the average number of pieces of mail separated daily amounts to 34 and is not in excess of 66 pieces, the annual allowance shall not exceed $36. For each increase of 33 pieces in the average number separated daily, not to exceed $12 additional may be allowed annually until the average number of pieces separated daily amounts to 600 pieces. For each increase of 50 pieces in the average number separated daily above 601, $12 additional may be allowed annually, as follows: Allowances for where Sec. 314. Whenever unusual business accrues at any post office, clerical assist the Postmaster General shall make a special order allowing reasonable ance unusual business compensation for clerical service. * * * accrues. for. R. S., § 3863. 2. Applications for allowances for clerk hire on ac-applications count of unusual conditions obtaining at third and fourth class post offices shall be made to the First Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Salaries and Allowances, and allowances may be granted when it is shown that the salary of the office (or the commissions on cancellations) is not sufficient compensation for the work performed, and where, by reason of the unusual conditions, clerical assistance is employed that would not be necessary under usual conditions. Employment under allow rating malls, etc. Sec. 315. When an allowance is made for clerical assistance at any post office of the third or fourth class, the ances for sepapostmaster may employ any persons who are competent and can take the oath of office. (See sec. 153.) No report of the person employed need be made to the Post Office Department. The person who is designated as assistant postmaster, as provided in section 294, may be employed under such allowances, except at third-class offices where the postmasters' salaries are $1,800 and $1,900. (See sec. 312.) See sec. 190, as to vouchers to be filed with Auditor for payments out of allowances for separating mails, etc. V.-BONDS OF CLERKS IN POST OFFICES. Sec. 316. Assistant postmasters and cashiers at first, second, and third class post offices, and when deemed necessary by the Postmaster General for the better protection of the interests of the Government any other employees in such offices, shall, before entering upon the duties Bonds of clerks in post offices. 1898, June 13, ch. 446, § 3; 30 Stat., 444. -what to cover. -when required. of their office, give bond to the United States with good and approved -penalty of. security, and in such penalty as the Postmaster General shall prescribe, conditioned for the faithful discharge of all duties and trusts imposed upon them either by law or the rules and regulations of the Post Office Department. Note. Liability post master not ing bonds from clerks. NOTE.-Cashiers are allowed only at first-class post offices. See sec. 304, as to assigament of clerks to performance of any duty in the post office where employed; sec. 260, as to release from suretyship and approval of new bond. of Sec. 317. The taking of bonds by the United States affected by tak directly from assistant postmasters and clerks in post offices does not in anywise affect the liability of postmasters upon their official bonds for the proper discharge of all the duties of their office and the due accounting for all public funds which may be in, or come into, their custody as postmaster; and postmasters and their sureties are responsible on their official bonds to the same extent as theretofore for the defaults and defalcations of their subordinates. The bonds taken from assistants and clerks in post offices are simply additional security of which the United States may avail itself in case of loss. Clerks in post offices required to give bond. Note. all duties posed. im Sec. 318. All employees of first and second class post offices who handle money, stamps, or valuable packages, and assistant postmasters at first, second, and third class offices shall furnish bonds executed to the United States in accordance with the forms prescribed by the depart ment. NOTE. The postmaster at an office of the third class, if he so desires, may require his clerks to furnish bonds executed in his favor. Bonds to cover 2. The bonds given to the United States by clerks and employees in post offices under their roster designation shall apply to and cover the faithful discharge of all duties and trusts imposed upon them, and the due accounting of all moneys which may come into their possession while performing the duties of any other clerk or employee, or of any position under any other roster designation or classification whatever. bond. Amount of 3. The amount of bond in each instance shall be fixed by the Post Office Department, upon the advice of the postmaster, according to a schedule printed in the annual Postal Guide. Bonding by surely companies preferred. 4. It is preferred that bonds furnished by one of the surety companies authorized to act as sureties on official bonds be given. (See sec. 79.) may negotiate 5. Postmasters may represent the employees of their Postmasters offices in negotiating premium rates with surety com-rates. panies, but shall not solicit or accept commissions from such companies, nor seek to compel their clerks to do business with any particular company. 6. The premium on bonds shall be paid by the employ- Premium ees furnishing them. Postmasters shall report to the by clerks. First Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Salaries and Allowances, the failure of any employee to pay the premium on his bond within 15 days after it is due. 7. Applications for forms for bonds and lists of surety, Applications companies that will be accepted thereon, and all correspondence relative to bonds of clerks or assistant postmasters, should be addressed to the First Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Salaries and Allowances. Bonds accepted Postmaster Gen 8. Bonds of assistant postmasters and clerks in post by and filed with offices may be accepted by the First Assistant Post-First Assistant master General for and on behalf of the Postmaster Gen-eral. eral, and shall be filed in the office of the First Assistant Postmaster General, Division of Salaries and Allow ances. VI. OATHS OF CLERKS IN POST OFFICES. etc. Sec. 319. Assistant postmasters, clerks, and employees Oaths. in post offices, before entering upon the discharge of their masters, clerks, duties, shall take the oath of office upon the form furnished by the Post Office Department (see sec. 153), and postmasters shall retain such oaths on the files of their respective offices. CHAPTER 5. for rent, light, ALLOWANCES AND SUPPLIES FOR POST OFFICES. I. ALLOWANCES FOR RENT, LIGHT, AND FUEL. Sec. 320. The Postmaster General may authorize such Expenditures allowances as may be necessary for rent, light, and fuel and fuel at first. for post offices of the first, second, and third classes, ces third class offiwithin the limit of the appropriation provided by law, ized. except as indicated in the following statute with respect to offices of the third class: 2. There shall not be granted for the use of any third-class post office for rent a sum in excess of five hundred dollars, nor more than one hundred dollars for light and fuel, in any one year. second, and -how author limit at third class offices. 1908, May 27, ch. 206; 35 Stat.. 410. |