Article 3.　In case the Minister of Postal Services entrusts the transportation, etc. of mails, he shall make an open competitive contract. However, the same shall not apply to the cases mentioned in the next Article and Article 8.

2　Whoever intends to join the competition under the provision of the preceding paragraph, shall be those deemed by the Minister of Postal Services to have necessary ability for the transportation, etc. and to cause no trouble in making them conduct the service.

Article 4.　The Minister of Postal Services may entrust, by a contract at discretion, the transportation, etc. of mails only in the following cases. In this case, it is not necessary to consult with the Minister of Finance, regardless of the provisions of the proviso to Article 29 of the Accounts Law (Law No.35 of 1947):

2　The contract at discretion provided for in the preceding paragraph may neither be made at the price of more than that fixed at the first competition in case of item (1) of the same paragraph, than the contract price accepted by the successful bidder in case of item (2) of the same paragraph, or than the contract price fixed for the contractor concerned in case of item (3) of the same paragraph, nor with any alteration of the other conditions except for the period.

Article 5.　The transportation charges shall, in case where the transporter as mentioned in Article 8 paragraph 1, conducts mail transportation in accordance with the provisions of the preceding two Articles, he based on the transportation cost plus the fair and reasonable profit. However, in case the transporter is the transportation enterprise the whole capital of which has been invested by the government, or is the local public body, the transportation charges shall be based on the transportation cost.

2　The standard of the transportation charges under the preceding paragraph, shall be fixed by the Minister of Transportation after consultation with the Minister of Postal Services in advance and after inquiry to the Transportation Council prescribed in Article 5 of the Ministry of Transportation Establishment Law (Law No.157 of 1949) with high regard to the decision thereof.

3　In case the Minister of Transportation receives, relating to the modification of standard of the transportation charges, the recommendations of the Transportation Council, in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of the Ministry of Transportation Establishment Law, he may, after consultation with the Minister of Postal Service, modify it with high regard to the recommendations thereof.

Article 6.　In case no transporter operating transportation business in the specified section by means of the same sort of transportation facilities as is necesary for the mail transportation, etc., is available, a person or legal entity who operates such transportation facilities in that section, though for his own use, may conduct the service of the transportation, etc. of mails, concluding the contract mentioned in Article 3 or 4 with the Minister of Postal Services.

2　In case the Minister of Postal Services makes the contract under the preceding paragraph, he shall consult in advance with the Minister of Transportation.

Article 7.　The period of contract for mail transportation, etc. shall not exceed four years.

Article 8.　The persons or legal entities listed below (hereinafter referred to as "transporters" ) shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Section, transport mails or make necessary conducts with regard to mail transportation, when so required by the Minister of Postal Services:

2　Requirements by the Minister of Postal Services in accordance with the provisions of this Section, shall be what are made to the transporter concerned, only in the case where the contract mentioned in Article 3 or 4 fails to be concluded between the Minister of Postal Services and the transporters, or where the transporters conducting mail transportation in accordance with the contract mentioned in Article 3 or 4 fail to perform the matters fixed in the contract and yet the requirements shall be those of the minimum necessity for regular and smooth transportation of mails, and never be those which impose on the transporters concerned any special obligation, unless otherwise prescribed in this Section.

3　The period for the performance of the service by the transporters in accordance with the requirements made by the Minister of Postal Services under the provisions of this Section shall not exceed one year.

4　In case the Minister of Postal Services desires to to make a requirement concerning the mail transportation to the transporters in accordance with the provisions of this Section, he shall consult in advance with the Minister of Transportation.

5　In case the Minister of Postal Services makes, in accordance with the provisions of this Section, a requirement concerning the mail transportation to the transporters, he shall admit, except in case of emergency, such a preparation period within the limits of not less than 30 days necessary for the execution thereof.

Article 9.　Transporters operating transportation business by railway (hereinafter referred to as "railway transporters" ), when requested by the Minister of Postal Services, shall connect necessary cars equipped with such facilities as required for the transportation of mails (hereinafter referred to as "mail car" ) to the regularly operated train, and transport the mails.

2　In case it is impossible to transport the mails by the regularly operated train on account of a large quantity of them or a natural calamity, etc., the railway transporters, when requested by the Minister of Postal Services, shall connect temporarily mail cars, or cars substituting therefor to other train than that operated regularly, and transport the mails.

3　In the cases mentioned in the precedingt wo paragraphs, the Minister of Postal Services shall not make a requirement so that the capacity of the mail cars, or cars substituting therefor connected by the railway transporters, may exceed one-fifth of the total capacity of the fixed number of cars of the train concerned.

4　In case the underframes of mail cars or cars substituting therefor connected in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 or 2, are made of wood, the railway transporters may not, except in case of emergency, connect them between the cars, the underframes of which are made of other materials than wood.

5　The mail cars or cars substituting therefor connected by the railway transporters in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1 or 2, shall have the similar grade of strength with passenger cars, and the model of the mail cars shall be such as designated by the Minister of Postal Services.

6　Railway transporters, when required by the Minister of Postal Services shall provide mail cars with facilities necessary for handling of mails and maintain the mail cars so as not to cause any inconvenience in that handling.

Article 10.　Railway transporters, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, shall receive from the person who engages in the handling of mails (hereinafter referred to as "mail handler" ) and who belongs to a post office the mails loaded on and unloaded from mail cars connected to the trains arriving or departing at night, and deliver them to the mail handler on board the mail cars, or shall receive them from him and deliver the same to the mail handler belonging to the post office.

Article 11.　Railway transporters, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, shall, with the object of the loading and unloading, custody and other hand lings of mails, furnish, for the use of the Ministry of Postal Services, the railway lands and buildings, apparatus and equipments or communication facilities in the compound of railway stations, and supply necessary electric power.

Article 12.　Transporters who operate automotivecar traffic business on fixed routes (hereinafter referred to as "motor vehicle transporters" ) shall, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, transport mails, appropriating to the loading space of them a part of passenger motor vehicles or trucks operated regularly.

2　In the case under the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Postal Services shall not make a requirement so that the floor space where mails are loaded may, per respective vehicle, exceed that equivalent to one-fifth of the fixed number of passengers in case of a passenger motor vehicle, or one-third of the freight loading floor space in case of a truck.

3　Motor vehicle transporters shall, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, provide, in the mail loading space mentioned in paragraph 1, equipments necessary for mail transportation, and maintain them so as not to cause any inconvenience in the handling of mails.

Article 13.　Transporters who operate transportation services for the use of the public traffic by regularly operated ship on fixed routes (hereinafter referred to as "ship transporters" ) shall, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, transport mails, appropriating a part of ships to the loading space of them.

2　In case of the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Postal Services shall not make, as for a ship not exceeding fifty gross-ton, such a requirement that the capacity of the part of the ship where mails are loaded may, per respective ship, exceed one-fifth of the capacity corresponding to the fixed number of passengers or of the freight loading capacity.

3　Ship transporters shall, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, provide on the loading space of mails under paragraph 1, equipments necessary for mail handling, and maintain them so as not to cause any inconvenience in that handling.

Article 14.　In addition to cases provided for in Article 9 paragraphs 1 and 2, Article 12 paragraph 1 and paragraph 1 of the preceding Article, transporters shall, when required by the Minister of Postal Services, transport the mail according to such classification, section, frequency of transportation or time schedule of transportation facilities, as well as methods for the exchange of mails as required by him.

2　The requirement in the preceding paragraph shall not change the facilities, routes or frequency of transportation, time schedule and other methods of the transportation of the transporter concerned, nor the capacity or floor space of cars, vehicles or ships utilized for the transportation shall exceed the limits fixed in Article 9 paragraph 3, Article 12 paragraph 2 or paragraph 2 of the preceding Article.

Article 15.　In case transporters transport mails or render facilities or service at the requirement of the Minister of Postal Services in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Minister of Postal Services shall pay a reasonable compensation to the transporters concerned.

2　The amount of compensation under the preceding paragraph shall be fixed by the Minister of Postal Services after consultation with the Miniter of Transportation. In this case, the amount shall, in case of compensation for the transportation of mails, be based on the standard to be provided for in the provision of Article 5 paragraph 2, and shall, in case of compensation for the use of lands and buildings, etc., be based on the rent ordinarily paid when such facilities are rented, and it shall not, in case of compensation in other instances, be fixed at the amount less than that of loss to be entailed ordinarily.

3　The Minister of Postal Services shall, when be has fixed the amount of compensation in accordance with the preceding paragraph, notify the transporter concerned of that effect without delay.

4　In case the transporter is dissatisfied with the amount of compensation under paragraph 2, he may claim by lawsuit to have the amount increased, provided that if shall not apply when one month has elapsed from the day of his receipt of the notification under the preceding paragraph.