ble advantage of somewhat better methods in the future. The pub. lisher derives considerable gains from the pages allowed for advertisemeuts and from sales of the annual Guide to the public. These will be greater sources of profit if his rights as publisher are secure for a long term. On the other hand, the publication requires so considerable a stock of printers' material and machinery to produce with promptitude the large number of copies demanded, that competition for a single year's contract is much limited. On both sides evident reasons mani. fest the advantages to the publisher of a long contract, and therefore the probability of a better price to the Government for the copies it requires. There is good reason to believe that the contract price for the current year conld be abridged by one-quarter to one-third if a term of eight or ten years were offered to the successful competitor, and at the same time every necessary provision be made for the probable chang. ing needs of the Department during its continuance. It would be at once a measure of economy to the Government and of fairness to the contractor. A Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General was recommended in the report of last year, and reference is again made to the reasons then suggested in favor of providing such an officer. Addi. tional experience in the Department adds confirmation to the opinion expressed. No private business well conducted, of far less magnitude, would long want such an oficial. The Government should save many times bis salary within a year by the retrenchments in expense which his steady superintendence might enforce. The heavy duties of the present officers leave it possible only to see what might be accomplished in many features, if time were afforded for the requisite constancy of labor and study. I commend the reading of Postmaster-General Howe's piquant report for 18S2 on the distribution of salaries and allowances in this connection. The Department.-The following table exbibits the expendi. tures of the Department during the fiscal years 1885 and 1886. Table showing appropriations, expenditures, and unexpended balances of appropriations for objects pertaining to the care of the Post-Office Department building, for the conduct of the Departmental service, and for salaries of officers and employés of the Department; ais amount and rate of decrease of expenditures for 1881 as compared with 1855. Stationery $9,000 00 $6, 349 00 Fuel, &o.. 7, 200 00 6,817 34 Fuel, &c., additional building.. 1, 300 00 436 60 Gas... 6, 600 00 4,933 11 Gas, additional building 400 00 400 00 Plumbing and gas-fixtures. 4, 700 00 3, 634 30 Telegraphing 5, 000 00 2, 320 79 Painting... 4, 700 00 2, 407 56 Carpets and matting. 5, 900 00 3, 570 60 Furniture.... 7, 500 00 1, 366 71 Furniture, additional building.. 500 00 17 00 Keeping horses, &c.. 1, 500 00 987 97 Hardware 1, 700 00 534 81 Miscellaneous items 13, 000 00 10, 897 93 Miscellaneous items, additional building 500 00 114 50 Rent, topographers 1, 500 00 1, 600 00 Rent, Money-Order building 8,000 00 8,000 00 Rent, additional building 4, 500 00 4, 120 00 Official Postal Guides 29, 000 00 13, 708 60 Post-route maps 20, 000 002 Realized from sale of post-route maps *2, 252 005 16, 990 04 Foreign postage ... 500 00 448 50 Free penalty envelopes ... 3, 600 00 1, 533 89 Total of items pertaining to care of building. &c..... 138, 852 00 91, 094 25 Salarios of officers and employés of Post-Office Department. 715, 120 00 697, 675 50 Total of all the above..... 853, 972 00 788, 769 75 1, 065 70 483 00 512 03 1, 165 19 2, 102 07 385 50 34.1 68 5 16. 16 527 375 00 15, 291 40 5, 261 96 51 50 2, 066 11 10 3 57. 3 47,757 75 65, 202 25 * By law credited as a further appropriation. $2,564 30 23 75 214 73 2.65 398 83 1, 058 19 500 14 19.4 2, 254 66 1,806 01 4, 973 31 76 54 1, 066 41 2, 602 07 19.27 * By law credited as a further appropriation. Total of items pertaining to care of Department, &c Post-Office Department. 154 90 . 73 127, 919 15 118, 381 25 9,537 90 7.45 27, 287 00 93.06 1 Increase The diminishment in expenditures during the last year took place without diminishment of any proper provision for the comfort or health of the clerks employed. Indeed, many improvements have been made much contributing to both. The plumbing and gas-fitting of the De. partment building were seriously defective, and have been renovated with good effect, and attention has been given to render the place of daily labor of the departmental force as cleanly, comfortable, and agreeable as the building will admit. Especial commendation is due the chief clerk and the superintendent for the excellent results accomplished and the economy in expenditure. The Money-Order Building was leased for five years from the 1st day of October, 1882, at $8,000 per year. As the term expires during the coming year, and the room space now in use is indispensable, it becomes necessary to solicit from the Congress some new provision, either by a lease of the same or some other building. It is no longer a matter of foresight that enlargement of the Depart ment building or the construction of a new one has become a duty. Three buildings in addition to the Department proper are now rented for its service, at an annual cost of $14,000; and before the probable completion of a new structure their capacity will have been outgrown. I wish to avoid every perfunctory phrase, but to express in terms intense with sincerity my gratitude to the assistants and heads of bureaus and offices, the chief clerk and chiefs of divisions of this Department for their loyal and efficient co-operation, counting no hours' and sparing no personal inconvenience to promote the common object intrusted to our care. Fidelity and attention have been conspicuous among the clerical force, and the corps of inspectors has well earned acknowledgment of their diligent and valuable service. The justifiable pleasure with which the improving condition of our postal administration is now exhibited to you is the joint possession of all these officers whose patriotic labors have wrought for its accomplishment. WILLIAM F. VILAS, Postmaster-General. The PRESIDENT. PAPERS ACCOMPANYING THE REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL. REPORT OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL, Washington, D. C., October, 20, ísso. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the work of this Bureau for the year ended June 30, 1886. APPOINTMENT DIVISION. Statement showing the number of post-offices established and discontinued, the number of postmasters appointed, and the increase or decrease as compared with the previous year, The above statements show that the number of post-offices established the past year was 3,482, an increase of 1,361 over the number estab. lished the previous year; also that the number of offices discontinued was 1,120, an increase of 234 over the number discontinued the previous year. The extraordinary increase in the number of post-offices established the past year was, in a great measure, due to the fact that a large nunber of applications for offices filed in the latter part of the previous year were left over and acted upon during the past year. The increase and decrease in the number of offices, arranged by sections, States, and Territories, were as follows: New England States. |