The commission may enter into an agree- the use of said purposes. The commisment with any bank or trust company sion may reserve the right to redeem in the United States as trustee having any or all of said bonds before maturity the power to make such agreement, in such manner and at such price or setting forth the duties of the commis- prices not exceeding 105 and accrued sion in respect to the acquisition, con- interest as may be fixed by the commisstruction, maintenance, operation, re- sion prior to the issuance of the bonds. pair, and insurance of the bridge or The commission when it deems it adbridges, the conservation and applica- visable may issue refunding bonds to tion of all funds, the security for the refinance any outstanding bonds at payment of the bonds, the safeguarding maturity or before maturity when called of money on hand or on deposit, and for redemption: Provided, That such rethe rights and remedies of said trustee funding bonds shall mature within not and the holders of the bonds, restricting to exceed twenty years from the date the individual right of action of the thereof and shall not exceed in principal bondholders as is customary in trust amount the principal amount of outagreements respecting bonds of corpora- standing bonds replaced by such refundtions. Such trust agreement may con- ing bonds. The commission may enter tain such provisions for protecting and into an agreement with any bank or enforcing the rights and remedies of the trust company in the United States as trustee and the bondholders as may trustee having the power to make such be reasonable and proper and not incon- agreement, setting forth the duties of sistent with the law. the commission in respect to the acquisition, construction, maintenance, operation, repair, and insurance of the bridge or bridges, the conservation and application of all funds, the security for the payment of the bonds, the safeguarding of money on hand or on deposit, and the rights and remedies of said trustee and the holders of the bonds, restricting the individual right of action of the bondholders as is customary in trust agreements respecting bonds of corporations. Such trust agreement may contain such provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the trustee and the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper and not inconsistent with the law.

Said bonds may be sold at not less than par after public advertisement for thirty days for bids to be opened publicly at the time and place stated in such advertisement and at the bid price which will yield the greatest return to the commission for the bonds to be sold. The price to be paid for the bridge or bridges acquired hereunder shall not exceed the reasonable value thereof at the time of the acquisition. The cost of the bridge to be constructed as provided herein, together with the approaches and approach highways, shall be deemed to include interest during construction of the bridge and for twelve months thereafter, and all engineering, legal, financing, architectural, traffic-surveying, con demnation, and other expenses incident to the bridge and the acquisition of the necessary property, including the cost of acquiring existing franchises and riparian rights relating to the bridge. If the proceeds of the bonds shall exceed the cost as finally determined, the excess shall be placed in the fund hereafter provided to pay the principal and interest of such bonds Prior to the preparation of definite bonds the commission may, under like restrictions, issue temporary bonds or may, under like restrictions, issue temporary bonds or interim certificates, without coupons. of any denomination whatsoever, exchangeable for definite bonds when such bonds that have been executed are available for delivery.

"Said bonds may be sold at not less than par after public advertisement for bids to be opened publicly at the time and place stated in such advertisement and at the price bid which will yield the greatest return to the commission for bonds to be sold Such advertisement for bids shall be published at least once each week for four consecutive weeks in a newspaper or financial journal having recognized circulatior among bidders for bonds of the type and character offered The price to be paid for the bridge or bridges acquired hereunder shall not exceed the reasonable value thereof as determined by the commission at the time of acquisition The cost of the bridge to be constructed as provided herein together with the approaches and approach highways. shall be deemed to include interest during construction of the bridge and for twelve months thereafter and all engineering, legal financing, architectural, traffic-surveying, condemnation. and other expenses incident to the bridge and the acquisition of the neces

sary property, including the cost of acquiring existing franchises and riparian rights relating to the bridge. If the proceeds of the bonds shall exceed the cost as finally determined the excess shall be placed in the fund hereafter provided to pay the principal and interest of such bonds. Prior to the preparation of definitive bonds the commission may, under like restrictions, issue temporary bonds or may, under like restrictions, issue temporary bonds or interim certificates without coupons, of any denomination whatsoever, exchangeable for definitive bonds when such bonds that have been executed are available for delivery."

SENDING OF BRAILLE WRITERS THROUGH THE MAIL

JULY 18, 1949.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. WHITAKER, from the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 3637]

The Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 3637) to permit the sending of Braille writers to or from the blind at the same rates as provided for their transportation for repair purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass.

STATEMENT

It is the purpose of this legislation to amend the provisions of the law governing the rates for sending materials through the mail for the use of the blind. The specific part of this law sought to be amended is the part which relates to sending Braille writers through the mail.

At the present time the reduced rate of 1 cent per pound may be used when sending such Braille writers through the mail for the purpose of being repaired, but they may not be sent through the mail at such reduced rate at the time of their original purchase. This bill would amend the law so that the Braille writers may be sent through the mail at the time of their original purchase at the rate of 1 cent per pound. To be eligible for the reduced rate, the Braille writers must be the property of State governments or subdivisions thereof, or of public libraries, or of private agencies for the blind not conducted for private profit, or of blind individuals.

Certain materials used by the blind, such as reproducers for soundreproduction records and other appliances which have the preferred rate of 1 cent per pound, are not limited by the requirement that they must pass through the mail for the purpose of being repaired.

We have received a favorable report from the Post Office Depart ment which indicates that there is very little additional cost as to the

H. Repts., 81-1, vol. 5- -41

Department; but, as to the individual blind person, the original mailings of these Braille writers, which weigh approximately 20 pounds, is an important item of savings.

The Post Office Department's report, which has the concurrence of the Bureau of the Budget, is as follows:

Hon. Toм MURRAY,

OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL,
Washington, D. C., July 7, 1949.

Chairman, Committee on Post Office and Civil Service,

House of Representatives.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Further reference is made to your request for a report on H. R. 3637, a bill to permit the sending of Braille writers to or from the blind at the same rates as provided for their transportation for repair purposes.

The measure would amend the fourth paragraph of the law embodied in section 331, title 39, United States Code, to read as follows (language deleted from the present law is enclosed in brackets):

"The Postmaster General may in his discretion extend this rate of 1 cent per pound or fraction thereof to reproducers for sound-reproduction records for the blind, or parts thereof, [and, when mailed to be repaired or being returned after repair,] to Braille writers and other applicances for the blind, or parts thereof, which are the property of State governments or subdivisions thereof, or of public libraries, or of private agencies for the blind not conducted for private profit, or of blind individuals, under such regulations as he may prescribe.

Under provisions of the current law (39 U. S. C. 331), a special rate of 1 cent per pound is applicable to reproducers for sound-reproduction records for the blind which are the property of State governments, public libraries, private_agencies for the blind not conducted for private profit, or blind individuals. However, for Braille writers and other appliances for the blind or parts thereof, this special rate applies only when such articles are mailed for repair purposes or returned after repair. The intent of this proposed bill is to remove that restriction and permit such items to be mailed at the 1-cent-a-pound rate regardless of purpose for which mailed. The requirement as to ownership would, of course, be retained. It is understood that the present average weight of a Braille writer is 20 pounds, and that new models placed on the market weigh as little as 4 pounds. Accordingly, such writers, unless mailed to be repaired or being returned after repair, would be subject to the fourth-class zone rates under the present law The average zone haul in 1948 was 501 miles, which would make the charge for a 20-pound parcel 97 cents as compared with the charge of 20 cents if this measure were enacted. Although this is a considerable reduction in revenue per piece, it is not believed that the number of writers mailed, "which are the property of the State governments or subdivisions thereof, or of public libraries, or of private agencies for the blind not conducted for private profit, or of blind individuals," will have any material effect on the postal revenue.

This Department is of the opinion that every possible consideration should be given to the blind of our Nation.

In view of the worthy purpose of the proposed bill and the fact that it would merely extend to Braille writers and other appliances the same rate of postage now applicable to another type of device for use by blind persons, this Department will interpose no objections to the enactment of the legislation.

This Department has been advised by the Bureau of the Budget that there would be no objection to the presentation of this report to the committee. Sincerely yours,

V. C. BURKE, Acting Postmaster General.

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 2a of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, as introduced, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman):