-station reports to main office.

--at offices having no stations and branches.

not to be surren

ico of legal proc

ess.

Answer to service of process.

Form 3873-N for use at contract stations.

All station statistical reports of registry business shall be sent to the main office on these forms at the close of each month, or oftener if required by the postmaster.

3. Postmasters at offices which have no stations or branches may be authorized by the Third Assistant Postmaster General to use Form 3873 if the quantity of mail registered at such offices justifies it. When none of these forms is furnished, postmasters shall keep a memorandum record of the required statistics.

Mail matter Sec. 969. Postmasters and other postal employees dered upon serv-shall not surrender registered matter upon the service of process of attachment, garnishment, or other legal process. A postmaster or other employee served with such process shall make answer to the court from which it issues, setting forth his official character and the fact that the matter in dispute came into his hands by virtue -delivery di- of his official authority. If, after such answer, the court direct the delivery, the postmaster shall request the susAssistant pension of the order until he can communicate with the

rected after.

Third
Postmaster Gen-Third Assistant Postmaster General, by telegraph if

eral.

ords taken into
court.
-care of.

necessary, and obtain further instructions.

Registry rec- 2. A postal employee summoned to take registry records into court shall not permit them to be taken from his custody, and during the absence of such records as are in current use at the post office blank record forms of the same kind shall be used. (See sec. 523.)

Doubtful mat

ters.

Sec. 970. When postmasters are in doubt as to their to be submitted duty under any regulations relating to the registry system, they shall submit the matter to the Third Assistant Postmaster General.

to department.

Indemnity for Sec. 971. *

lost domestic

ter.

--first class.

XI. INDEMNITY FOR LOSSES.

As a part of such system of registration he registered mat-(the Postmaster General) may provide rules under which the senders or owners of first-class registered matter may be indemnified for losses R. S., § 3926. thereof in the mails, the indemnity to be paid out of postal revenues, 1902, Apr. 21, ch.563; 32 Stat., but in no case to exceed one hundred dollars for any registered piece, or the actual value thereof when that is less than one hundred dollars, and for which no other compensation or reimbursement to the loser has been made.

117.

-third class.

2. *

1911, Mar. 4, ch.

* *

The Postmaster General is hereby authorized to indem241; 36 Stat., 1337, nify the senders or owners of third and fourth class domestic registered matter lost in the mails, the indemnity, which shall be paid out of the postal revenues, not to exceed twenty-five dollars for a single piece of

registered matter or the actual value thereof if less than twenty-five dollars: Provided, That no indemnity shall be paid if the loser has been otherwise reimbursed.

NOTE.As fourth-class matter is not now accepted for registration Note. (indemnity for its loss having been provided by the parcel-post act of Aug. 24, 1912 [see secs. 488 and 489]), the indemnity provided by the act of Mar. 4, 1911, above quoted, applies to registered third-class mail only.

Sec. 972. Whoever shall make, allege, or present, or cause to be made, alleged, or presented, or assist, aid, or abet in making, alleging, or presenting, any claim or application for indemnity for the loss of any registered letter, parcel, package, or other article or matter, or the contents thereof, knowing such claim or application to be false, fictitious, or fraudulent; or whoever for the purpose of obtaining or aiding to obtain the payment or approval of any such claim or application, shall make or use, or cause to be made or used, any false statement, certificate, affidavit, or deposition; or whoever shall knowingly and willfully misrepresent or misstate, or, for the purpose aforesaid shall knowingly and willfully conceal any material fact or circumstance in respect of any such claim or application for indemnity, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Sec. 973. In case of the loss of domestic registered mail in the postal service, indemnity will be paid for the value thereof, not exceeding $50 in any one case of first-class matter, and not exceeding $25 in any one case of thirdclass matter. Whenever a false, fictitious, or fraudulent value is knowingly and wilfully stated, the department reserves the right, without any refund of fee, to decline to pay indemnity or to pay such indemnity as may, in its discretion, be considered equitable in the light of the evidence procured.

False claims for Indemnity. 1909, Mar 4, ch. 321, 8224; 35 Stat.,

1133.

Limit of indemnity.

demnity.

2. Claims for indemnity for the loss of domestic regis-Claims for intered mail must be made within one year from the date of loss.

3. No indemnity shall be paid—

For what indemnity shall not

(a) For the loss of any registered mail of the second be paid. class.

(b) For the loss of any registered matter upon which both postage and registry fee have not been paid.

(c) For the loss of any registered matter which was not rightfully in the mails, or was not lost while in the custody of the postal service, or for which other compensation or reimbursement has been made through the Post Office Department or the postal service.

(d) For the loss of any registered matter exchanged between post offices in the United States and post offices

Manner of making claim for indemnity.

Indemnity. - how paid.

-conflicting

claims.

-when either sender or

dressee can be located.

in possessions of the United States having separate and distinct postal services, except in accordance with such stipulations as may be agreed upon between the postal administrations interested, unless the matter originated and was lost in the postal service of the United States.

(e) For mere damage to registered mail, although indemnity may be allowed in those cases where the damage is so complete as entirely to destroy the value of the article, and then only in cases in which the complete damage or loss is not due to insecure or insufficient preparation and wrapping by the sender.

(f) For the loss of any registered article without intrinsic value.

4. When the sender or owner of a lost registered article desires to make claim for indemnity, he should apply to the postmaster, who will furnish a blank form of application or will obtain one from the post-office inspector in charge of the division in which his office is located or from the Chief Inspector, and have it properly filled out and returned without delay to the official from whom received.

5. Indemnity within the prescribed limit will be paid for the market value of merchandise lost, and the actual, usual, direct, and essential expenses incurred in the duplication. of valuable papers, or the original cost of such papers when they are not or can not be duplicated. Claims for indirect, remote, and unnecessary expenses incident to the duplication of papers will not be entertained.

6. In case of conflicting claims between persons producing reasonable evidence of having a property right in a lost domestic registered article, the controversy should, if practicable, be settled between the parties interested before action is taken by the department to pay any claim therefor. If no agreement is reached, the department reserves the right, in its discretion, either to determine on the basis of evidence it may deem adequate who the owner is and make the payment accordingly, or refuse to make any payment unless an agreement is reached between the claimants, or the property right is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

7. When either the sender or the addressee can not not be located after reasonable search and the other claims

ad

indemnity as the owner of the lost registered article, the department reserves the right to indemnify him. upon the production of evidence deemed reasonably adequate to determine that the claimant is entitled to indemnity as the owner, without procuring the consent of the other party in interest whose whereabouts is unknown.

by inspector.

8. All of the circumstances of the case shall be carefully Investigat i on investigated by post-office inspectors to verify the facts.

set forth in the application, and, if possible, to recover the lost article or its value.

affect efforts to

9. Payment of indemnity does not relieve post-office Payment not to inspectors from the duty of endeavoring by all legitimate recover. means to recover the lost article or its value.

ered subsequent

10. Lost articles which are recovered subsequent to Articles recov the payment of indemnity will be surrendered to the to payment of owner upon reimbursement of the amount of indemnity paid.

claim.

not claimed.

11. If the article be not claimed and the amount of When indemnity refunded by such owner within 30 days of the date of notice given him for that purpose, the lost article and its contents shall become the property of the United States and be disposed of in such manner as the Postmaster General shall direct.

ter.

article

Sec. 974. "In case of the loss of a registered article (in the Postal, Indemnity for lost foreign Union mails), and except in cases of 'force majeure' (beyond control), registered matthe sender, or at the request of the sender, the addressee is entitled Universal Postto an indemnity of fifty francs," or its equivalent in United States al Convention, money (approximately $9.65).

Rome, Italy, May 26, 1906, art. 8, par. 1.

demnity.

2. Claims for indemnity for the loss of registered Claims for inarticles in the Postal Union mails must be made within one year from the date of mailing.

demnity.

3. Indemnity will be paid in any amount claimed Limit of inwithin the limit of 50 francs for the complete loss in the Postal Union mails of a registered article of any class, regardless of its value.

4. No indemnity will be paid

(a) For the complete or partial loss or rifling of, or damage to, any registered article sent via parcel post.

(b) For any registered article which was not lost while in the custody of the Postal Union mails.

(c) For damage to, or the partial loss or rifling of, any registered article, unless it was mailed in the United

For what indemnity not paid.

Note.

Regulations governing indem

mails apply to

States, and the damage, partial loss, or rifling occurred while the article was in the custody of the postal service of the United States, and then for the value of the loss only, not exceeding 50 francs, and, in case of damage, only under the conditions specified for the payment of indemnity for complete damage or loss in the domestic registered mails; although indemnity may be allowed for the actual loss sustained, within the limit of 50 francs, on account of the complete damage, partial loss, or rifling of any registered article in the Postal Union mails, provided the foreign countries interested agree with the United States reciprocally to pay indemnity in such

cases.

(d) For any article lost under circumstances of "force majeure" (beyond control), unless the foreign countries interested will assume liability for indemnity reciprocally with the United States in such cases.

NOTE. The term "force majeure" (major force) is generally interpreted to mean causes which could not be prevented by human agency, such as earthquakes, tempests, wars, etc.

5. The regulations governing indemnity for the loss nity in domestic of registered articles in the domestic mails will, as foreign mails. far as applicable, govern indemnity for the loss of registered articles in the Postal Union mails, except as otherwise specified herein or in the current Postal Union Convention. (See secs. 971 to 973.)

Stations and branches.

Stations and

branches to han

offices.

CHAPTER 2.

EXCHANGE OF REGISTERED MAIL BETWEEN POST
OFFICES AND STATIONS THEREOF.

Sec. 975. Mail may be registered and registered mail delivered at branch post offices and stations designated by name or letter. At numbered stations mail may be registered, but registered mail is not customarily delivered to addressees from such stations.

Sec. 976. The regulations governing the treatment and die registered transmission of registered mail at and between post offices mail like post shall apply to the treatment and exchange of such mail at and between branches and stations as far as practicable, except as herein otherwise provided. (See sec. 883.)