envelope, addressed to the postmaster at the United States exchange post-office from which the registered package containing it was received. Great care must be taken that any foreign postage-stamps attached to a foreign registry-return-receipt do not become detached therefrom.

Sec. 908. Undelivered Foreign Registered Letters or Parcels.-Should a foreign letter or parcel remain undelivered at the expiration of thirty days (except specially directed to be held for delivery) it must, even though indorsed with the name and address of the sender, or a return request, be forwarded to the Dead-Letter Office in the manner prescribed for sending registered matter to the Dead-Letter Office, in section 880. Request registered letters originating in Canada are excepted from this regulation. They should be returned to writer as requested.

Sec. 909. Foreign Registry-Return-Receipts not Sent to Dead-Letter Office.— If a Registry-return-receipt is attached to a foreign registered letter or parcel that cannot be delivered, the Registry-return-receipt must be indorsed with the cause of non-delivery, postmarked with date, and returned to the exchange post-office in the United States whence it came.

Sec. 910. Registered Matter Supposed to be Liable to Customs-Duty.— Regulations respecting ordinary matter subject to customs duty, section 1133, govern registered matter also, except that the receipt of the addressee must first be obtained by the postmaster before any opening of the registered letter or parcel is permitted by the addressee. If the addressee refuses to sign a receipt for any such supposed dutiable registered matter, it must be marked REFUSED, held the proper length of time, and sent to the Dead-Letter Office.

Sec. 911. Foreign Registered Matter Specially Held for Delivery.--When the postmaster has good reason to believe that registered letters or parcels from a foreign country can be delivered to addressee, he may mark them SPECIALLY HELD For DELIVERY, and retain them not to exceed three months before sending to Dead-Letter Office. Registered letters addressed POSTE RESTANTE, or To BE CALLED FOR, or to a passenger or sailor on a vessel to arrive, must also be held not to exceed three months. Sec. 912. Forwarding Registered Matter in the Universal Postal Union.Registered letters or parcels received from foreign countries in the Postal Union may be forwarded to any other country in the Postal Union, or to any post-office in the United States, without additional charge for postage or registry fee.

Sec. 913. Postmark Foreign Registered Matter at Exchange Post-Offices.All registered letters or parcels sent to or received from foreign countries must be postmarked at exchange post-offices with the registry postmarking stamp, showing date of dispatch or receival.

Sec. 914. Do not Write to Foreign Postmasters.-Postmasters of postoffices (not exchange post-offices) are instructed not to address correspondence to foreign post-offices on registry business.

Sec. 915. Object of this Branch of the Registry System.-By the system of through-registered-pouches the Department has been enabled to keep pace with the growth of registry business in consolidating the registered packages under cover of special pouches at certain post-offices termed through-registered-pouch-offices, relieving the railway-mail service by preventing too great an accumulation of registered packages on the several lines of postal cars, preventing risks at transfers, and placing the work where better opportunity offers for its correct performance.

Sec. 916. Mode of Carrying on Through-Registered-Pouch-Service.-Certain post-offices are designated by the Third Assistant Postmaster-General as throughregistered-pouch-offices, and provided with through-registered-pouches, special regisistered locks, keys, labels, and disks, and instructed to make exchanges only with such through-registered-pouch-offices and at such times as they may be directed by the Third Assistant Postmaster-General. For list of such post-offices with their exchanges, see the latest Official Postal Guide.

Sec. 917. Exchanges. Directed to be Made Invariably.-Postmasters will make the directed dispatches of through-registered-pouches whether there is any registered matter to be sent in them or not. In case there is no registered matter to be sent in a through-registered-pouch dispatched, a pouch-bill marked NO PACKAGES SENT, properly filled up, signed, copied, and postmarked, must be placed in the pouch and the pouch locked and regularly dispatched.

Sec. 918. Through-Registered-Pouch-Office Supplies, How used and kept.-The through-registered-pouches, locks, labels, and disks, having been made expressly for the registry system, must not be used for any other purpose, and must be securely kept, the locks and keys in the safe, and the pouches, labels, disks, and bills in that part of the post-office set apart for the transaction of the business of the registry system, and under no circumstances must any other pouches, locks, labels, or disks be used in transmitting registered matter to post-offices with which through-registered-pouches are exchanged.

Sec. 919. Additional Supplies.-Timely notice of the need of additional through-registered-pouches, locks, labels, and disks must be given to the Third Assistant Postmaster-General, in order that they may be sent before the supply is exhausted. Requisition for through-registered-pouch-bills, through-registered-pouch blanks, and through-registered-pouch press-books must be made of the Superintendent of the Blank Agency, Post-Office Department, office of the First AssistantPostmaster-General. Sec. 920. Registered Matter Dispatched in Through-Registered-Pouches.In the through-registered-pouches for each through-registered-pouch-office must be placed all the registered matter addressed to that post-office, and to post-offices on routes beyond it as shown by the through-registered-pouch schemes; but packages too large to be inclosed in the pouch must be dispatched by the hands of the proper railway-mail employé.

Sec. 921. Preparation of Matter for Through-Registered-Pouches.-Before dispatching a through-registered-pouch there must be entered on the through-registeredpouch-bill the number of the bill, commencing each quarter with No. 1, the date of dispatch, the name of the post-office to which the pouch is to be sent, numb. r of the lock to

be used in fastening the pouch, which number is to be considered the number of the pouch, the numbers, postmarks, and addresses of the registered packages to be sent in the pouch, and at the foot the number of registered packages sent in that pouch, the total number of through-registered-pouches to be sent to that post-office by that mail, and the total number of registered packages sent in those pouches. At those post-offices where it is usual to dispatch two or more through-registered-pouches to the same postoffice by the same mail, the entry of the total number of pouches sent, and of the total number of packages sent in such pouches, may be omitted on the pouch-bills of all the pouches, except the pouch-bill of the pouch last closed, as the disks show the total number of through-registered-pouches.

Sec. 922. Signing the Pouch-Bill and Copying.-The pouch-bill must then be signed by two dispatching clerks, copied in the throngh-registered-pouch press-book provided for that purpose, postmarked, and placed in the pouch with the registered packages.

Sec. 923. Inspection before Closing.-Before closing a through-registeredpouch for dispatch, the dispatching clerks must assure themselves beyond any doubt that all the packages advised to the pouch-bill are inclosed.

Sec. 924. Labeling and Locking.-The through-registered-pouch must be properly labeled before any packages are placed therein, and the packages, tied together in bundles in order of entry on bill, and marked with name of through-registered-pouch-office, should be compared with the bill and with the label of the pouch, lock number proved correct, and bill and packages then placed in the pouch, which must be securely locked and the proper entries made on the record of through-registered-pouches dispatched, and on delivery to the railway-mail employé a receipt taken therefor.

Sec. 925. Indicating Dispatch of Extra Through-Registered-Pouches.When two through-registered-pouches are sent from a post-office by the same dispatch to the same post-office, a registry-disk bearing the figure "2" must be attached to each pouch by passing the link of the lock through the ring of the disk. If three pouches are to be sent by the same mail, a disk bearing the figure "3" must be used, and so on, attaching the disk bearing the figure which corresponds with the total number of pouches sent on each separate pouch.

Sec. 926. Object of the Registry-Disk.-The registry-disk is attached to the through-registered-pouches to inform employés of the service whose duty it is to receive and receipt for them how many through-registered-pouches are included in any one dispatch; they must, therefore, at any transfer of the through-registered-pouches, examine the registry-disks and ascertain before receipting that the full complement of pouches from each post-office indicated by the registry-disks have been delivered to them. Whenever the letter B appears on the registry-disk, in addition to the number, a box must accompany the pouch or pouches for each B appearing on the registry-disk. The letters indicate the number of boxes, and the figures the total of boxes and pouches. Sec. 927. Return Extra Through-Registered-Pouches, etc., Promptly.In order that each through-registered-pouch-office may preserve its proper complement of through-registered-pouches, locks, and disks, the extra number when received must be returned by next dispatch, inside of the regular pouch, duly entered on the pouchbill.

Sec. 928. Through-Registered-Pouch in Bad Order.-On the arrival of a through-registered-pouch at a through-registered-pouch-office, the receiving clerk must before receipting to the railway-mail employé, assure himself of the good condition of both pouch and lock. If either appears to have been tampered with or is in bad order, the receipt for the pouch must be withheld until its contents have been carefully examined, and found not only to correspond with the entries on the pouch-bill, but to be in good order and condition. Proper facilities should be allowed the railway mail employé to be present at such examination, and if the contents are not in good order the receipt given him must state that fact. A minute of the case must also be

placed in the files of the through-registered-pouch-office, in case any loss of contents should afterward be charged.

Sec. 929. Checking Contents of Through-Registered-Pouch.-A through-registered-pouch must be opened by two clerks, and its contents must be compared with the entries on the pouch-bill. After proper entries of the packages on the books of the through-registered-pouch-office, the pouch-bill must be signed by both clerks, postmarked, and returned to the sending post-office in the next through-registered-pouch dispatched to that post-office. Each pouch must be thoroughly shaken, and its interior inspected, to ascertain that it has been completely emptied.

Sec. 930. Safety of Registered Keys and Locks.-When a through-registered-pouch is opened at the post-office of destination the lock must be at once placed in the safe of the registry branch of the post-office, where it must be kept until needed for immediate use again. The keys used in opening the registered locks must be attached to the safe by a chain, and must not be detached therefrom or be handled by any one save the clerk in charge thereof. Under no circumstances must the registered keys or locks be exhibited to any one.

Sec. 931. Through-Registered-Pouches in Transit, when to be Opened.—If by reason of missing a connection, or for other cause, a through-registered-pouch, labeled and intended for another through-registered-pouch-office, is brought into a post-office authorized to exchange through-registered-pouches, it must be receipted for in the same manner as if addressed to that post-office. It must then be opened, the contents examined, and compared with the pouch-bill, which must be indorsed, POUCH DELIVERED TO THIS POST-OFFICE BECAUSE OF CONTENTS [correct or incorrect, as case may be, the disagreement being stated]. and signed by two clerks. The registered packages called for on the pouch-bill must be entered on the record-ofregistered-matter-in-transit, and the pouch, with its bill and original contents therein, must be fastened by the same lock (unless the pouch or lock is damaged, in which event it will be replaced by a good one, such action being noted on the bill), and be dispatched by the next mail to the post-office for which it was intended.

Sec. 932. Discrepancy in Contents of Through-Registered-Pouch.-If the contents of a through-registered-pouch do not agree with the pouch-bill, the fact must be immediately noted thereon, and a report sent by mail to the Third Assistant Postmaster-General. In addition, in cases where there are entries on the bill for which no corresponding registered packages are found, the discrepancy must be telegraphed to the dispatching post-office, in order that the error may be rectified or immediate action taken concerning the loss.

Sec. 933. Record of Delays to be Kept.-Postmasters must keep a full record of all delays and miscarriages of through-registered-pouches, reporting the facts in each case to the Third Assistant Postmaster-General.

RETURNED TO

Sec. 934. Damaged Registered Locks and Keys.-Damaged registered locks and keys must be securely enveloped, and sent, registered, to the "Mail Equipment Division, Office of Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, D. C." Damaged pouches should be labeled DAMAGED POUCH, FROM POST-OFFICE AT— SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL; and should be forwarded, unlocked, in the through-registered-pouch for Washington, D. C. If the sending post-office does not exchange through-registered pouches with Washington, it must be sent in the throughregistered-pouch for the post-office nearest that point with which such pouches are exchanged, and will be forwarded in same manner from that post-office. A letter of advice must always be transmitted to both the Second and Third Assistant Postmasters-General concerning damaged registered locks or pouches returned.

Sec. 935. Through-Registered-Pouch or Blank must be Delivered.-Railway mail employés must ascertain what through-registered-pouches are to be daily transmitted over their routes, and must in no case leave their terminal post-offices without demanding the regular pouches, or that the blank used stating the reason for absence

of ponch be given them. Either the pouch must be delivered or the blanks stating reason for failure. If they are not sent, the railway mail employé must note on his railway-mail-registry-book the reason why. This course must also be pursued with regard to such through-registered-pouches as they should regularly receive from connecting Offices. By such means the post-office at which the pouch is due will be informed of the cause of the delay by the railway mail employé whose duty it is to bring it in.

Sec. 936. Non-delivery of Through-Registered-Pouches.-In case of failure in arrival of a through-registered-pouch when due, without satisfactory reason for its absence, report must be made immediately to the Third Assistant Postmaster-General. Sec. 937. Through-Registered Pouches Taken to Terminal Post-Offices.Railway mail employés must, in every case where possible, deliver the through-registered-pouches direct to the connecting Office. But if connection with other Offices is not made, the pouches must be taken into the terminal post-offices and receipt obtained for them.

Sec. 938. Disposition of Through-Registered-Pouches in Bad Order in Transit. When a through-registered-pouch is delivered to a railway mail employé, he must, before receipting for the same, assure himself that the registered lock and pouch are in good order. If either is not, his receipt must show that fact, and the pouch must be taken by him into the terminal post-office of his route, if such post-office exchanges through-registered-pouches. If the terminal post-office of his route is not a throughregistered-pouch-office, or if there is no through-registered-pouch-office on his route, the pouch must be forwarded until it reaches a throngh-registered-pouch-office, care being taken that none of its contents are lost. Railway mail employés must keep a record of the facts in all such cases for future reference.

Sec. 939. Registered Packages between Post-Office and Office to be Pouched. Railway mail employés must place their registered packages under cover of a leather pouch (as far as the size of the packages will permit) in conveying them to and from the terminal post-office and the Office, and must keep this pouch in their personal charge, and accompany the wagon on which it is conveyed to the train.

Sec. 940. Railway-Mail-Registry-Books.-Railway mail employés will be furnished by their Division Superintendent with railway-mail-registry-books, provided