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Miles of Mail routes un-


| der contract, "1l2,774 l42,S77
Miles of annual mail


transportation, 25,869, ,486 s6,228,962
Revenue. S2,993,576 s S4.13z,O56


In 1885. the Department was laboring under
an extraordinary debt oil g 6OO 900; in 1887, it
has surplus OF 8 100000.


| Efforts have been made to organize great
mail line from New York, through Phnadel,
phia, Baltimore, Wheeling, Columbus, and
Cincinnati. by land, and down the Ohio and
Mississippi rivers, by Louisville, Memphis, He
lena. Vicksburg, Natchez. &c: to New orleans
Between CINCINNATI and Louisville steam
boat mail row runs daily; from Louisville to
New Orleans i! now runs thrice week under
a recent contract, and will run daily after the
first wear; from Baltimore to Cincinnati the
mail has been greatly expedited and nothing
is wanting to complete the plan but contract
with the railroad companies between Philadel-
phia and Baltimore, Of which there is fair
prospect. 1t is anticipated. that when this line
shall be in full operation, it will be expedent to
discontinue the express mails between Philadel-
phia and Cincinnati at least as little can be
gained by them; and the great mail will go
from New York to New Orleans by this route
in about eleven days.


1t is hoped the bill relative to the transporta.
ton of the mail upon railroads, which passed





come a law. 1t is liberal TO the rail road COM
panies, and would probably remove all obsta-
cles to making contracts with them.


For some time to come the mail transporta-
ton will be nearly stationary. The post offices
will greatly increase The revenue will rapid
ly advance as soon as the general embarrass-
ments are at an end. That of The last quarter
was at least nine per cent. over the correspond
ing quarter of last year; but the same relative
proportions are not TO be expected IN Ihe coming
quarters


The number Of dead letters returned to the
+ Department for the last two quarters has been
ascertained as accurately as practicable. For
the quarter ending 3Oth June last they were over
222 900, and for the quarter ending 3Oth Sep
tember last over 225,000. The average may
be put down at 900. 900 annually. AT l2a cents
each, their estimates average postage, and loss
to the Department on these letters is ll2,5O0
year.


Estimating the letters delivered out at the same
average rate, it will appear that the whole num-
Der of letters delivered from the post offices OF
the United States during the last year was 29,
36O9o2 For free letters and dead letters may
be added at least 100000 more. The number
of newspapers, pamphlets, &c. paying postage,
conveyed by mail annually, is estimated at about
! 25, ,0O0O OOO The dead and free newspapers may
be about 100000.
The convenience Of the public business, and
the security Of the books and papers, require
that a fire-proof building be provided for this
Department.


1t is necessary that the clerks provided for in
the appropriations of the last annual session be
made permanent.


The great increase of the number of post Off
ces, and in the magnitude of accounts from the
old Offices, together with the multiplication OF
contractors, render it absolutely necessary TO
augment the force of the Auditors office.


take great pleasure in saying, that more
faithful, devoted and efficient public officers
than my three assistants cannot be found, ind
that the clerks generally 2artake Of their spirit.


Some idea may be formed of the amount OF
business done in this Department from the fact.
that the communications of all sorts received in
the different Offices excluding the Auditors Of
fee, amount to a daily average Of about $50
for the working days, equal to 269, ,180a year
the communications sent, to about 470 daily, E.
quail to 147, 40 year; and the cases actually
decided by the Postmaster General to 48 daily,
equal to 1904 year.


The magnitude of the work done by the Au-
ditor and his clerks may be estimated from the
fac: that they examine and adjust the four quart
erly accounts of each postmaster, making near
48, 900 accounts year, and the accounts OF each
contractor quarterly or oftener, making about
| 1000 year; keeping the mass of books requI-
red in this service closing each year the ac-
counts of about 1000 ex-postmasters and carry
ing on the heavy correspondence growing out
of these extensive duties


Herewith is an interesting statement of the
First Assistant relative to mail transportation.
| have the honor to be,
Your obedient servant
n A