General Instructions for the Guidance of Post Office Inspectors in the Dominion of Canada | Page 9

is recommended should be established in red.
3. All changes in Mail Services should--except in very special
cases--take effect on the first day of each mouth.

X.
CONTRACTS FOR MAIL SERVICES.
1. For every Mail Service there should be a written contract or
memorandum of agreement, which should be made out and executed in
triplicate, one copy being for the Department at Ottawa, one for the
contractor, and one for yourself.
2. All contracts for Mail Services should be made so as to terminate at
the end of a quarter, or if that is not possible, at the end of a month.
3. The contracts terminating at the end of each quarter should be
entered in the record of expiration of contracts, a page or two pages in
this book as may be required, being appropriated for each quarter.
4. Six months previous to the expiration of the contracts, the usual
printed circular should be issued to the Postmaster at each of the
termini of the several routes, asking whether any improvements can be
made in the service.
5. Should any change be desirable a report should be made thereon to
the Postmaster General, at least one month previous to the preparation
of the notices inviting tenders for a new contract.
6. Four months before the expiration of each Quarter separate reports

should be made to the Postmaster General.
1. Of all contracts expiring at the end of the next ensuing Quarter in
which no change of mail service is proposed.
2. Of all contracts expiring at the end of the next ensuing Quarter in
which an alteration is recommended.
These reports should be accompanied by the usual notices of
advertisement inviting tenders.
7. All advertisements for tenders and all contracts for Mail Services
should be carefully prepared, it being borne in mind that nothing more
than what is expressed therein can be legally enforced.
The advertisements should be dated a fortnight later than the date of
their transmission to the Department.
8. There should be at least six weeks between the date of the
advertisements and the date up to which tenders for the service are
receivable, and at least eight weeks between the day fixed on for the
reception of tenders and the date on which they are to take effect.
9. Duplicates of the notices inviting tenders for Mail Services, should
be fyled in the Guard Book provided for that purpose.
10. When the notices have received the approval of the Postmaster
General, one copy at least should be sent to each office on the route to
be advertised, to be posted up in a conspicuous place in the office for
the public information, and as many copies as may be considered
necessary to the office at each terminus.
11. The usual forms of tender should also be supplied to Postmasters at
those places where these forms of tender will probably be enquired for
by parties proposing for the service.
12. Unless there is any good and sufficient objection, contracts for Mail
Services must be made with parties whose tenders, being the lowest,

have been accepted.
13. It should, however, be ascertained that the party proposing to
undertake the service is able satisfactorily to perform it, and that the
sureties he names are good and sufficient for the penalty of the required
bond.
14. In the event of there being any serious objection to entering into a
contract with the parties whose tenders have been accepted, full
particulars of the objection should at once be reported to the Postmaster
General, and application made for the next lowest tender.
15. Full particulars should also be promptly furnished to the Postmaster
General of the action taken on tenders forwarded to you for acceptance
on certain conditions, or in cases where none of the tenders received
have been accepted in consequence of the high prices demanded.
16. In dealing with accepted tenders for mail services, and in making
out the contract therefor, the greatest possible promptness should be
observed.
17. Contracts for Mail Services should be very carefully prepared, and
no contract should be forwarded for the signature of the Postmaster
General unless correct in all its terms and provisions.
18. The contract should specify all the offices served en route.
19. All contracts sent for the Postmaster General's signature must be
accompanied by the printed form or letter, in which should be entered
separately and alphabetically:--
1. Contracts entered into without change of service;
2. Contracts for new services.
Against each contract should be entered the number and date of the
letter under authority of which the contract was made.
Against the entry of each new contract it should be clearly stated

whether the service is entirely a new one. If not, the names of the
contract or contracts which it