year ending June 30, 1887, was $291,000. This amount is being expended as follows: This is an increase of $39,281.49 over the cost of this service for the last fiscal year, and this increased amount was appropriated for the purpose of expediting the mails over the line of the Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West Railroad from Jacksonville to Sanford, and over the South Florida Railroad from Sanford to Tampa; thus furnishing increased facilities to and from all points in Florida, and better communication between the United States and Cuba. The amount appropriated for this purpose, namely, $39,281.49, would not admit of the payment of the regular rate during the entire year, but, inasmuch as the service did not commence until August 8, 1886, there will be an unexpended balance at the close of the current year. In estimating for the next fiscal year I have figured this service from Jacksonville to Tampa at the regular rate, which will amount to $44,269.02, and make the total amount needed for necessary and special facilities on trunk lines, $295,987.53, which I have the honor to recommend be appropriated for this purpose for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888. In reference to this estimate, I would state that annually since 1878 Congress has made special appropriations to enable the Department to obtain, from railroad companies, special facilities for the transportation of the mails, which could not be obtained otherwise than by the expenditure of the fund asked for. That these appropriations have been properly used to secure the best results attainable in connection with the fast-mail service, the tables of the expenditures published by this office in its annual reports, together with the debates in Congress in reference to the matter, will fully attest. The advantages secured to the people of all sections by the fast-mail service are important, especially so to those engaged in mercantile pursuits in the commercial centers, to whom speedy and frequent service between the different sections of the country has become a matter of absolute necessity. This appropriation will simply enable the Department to maintain the service on its present basis and close the gap be tween Jacksonville and Tampa by means of the connecting lines of railroad mentioned in the preceding statement. The benefits derived from the special-facilities appropriation are so well understood that any special plea on my part in favor of the continuance of the appropriation would seem to be unnecessary, but suffice it to say that without the appropriation it would be impossible to satisfactorily continue this service. ESTIMATES FOR RAILWAY POSTAL CARS. The amount appropriated for the current fiscal year for railway postoffice cars is $1,808,000. This does not include the cost of this service on subsidized lines, for which credit must be given, and which I am informed by the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post-Office Department amounted to $116,793 for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886. This added to the amount appropriated for the current fiscal year would make the cost for railway post-office cars $1,924,793. I have estimated the increase for the coming year at 7 per cent. on the appropriation for the current year, exclusive of the subsidized lines, or $126,560, making a total of $1,934,560. The demands for larger cars and increased facilities come from all sections of the country, and these demands must be met as fast as it is ascertained that they are meritorious, or the service must deteriorate. I have, therefore, the honor to recommend that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, the sum of $1,934,560 be appropriated for railway .post-office cars, and sincerely trust that the full amount of the estimate will be provided, as I am clearly of the opinion that it is no more than will be absolutely needed. EXPLANATION OF ESTIMATE FOR THE PAY OF RAILWAY POSTAL CLERKS. On June 30, 1886, there were 4,573 railway postal clerks in the service, whose aggregate annual salaries amounted to $4,567,645. The average annual salary per clerk was $998.82. The following table exhibits the expenditures on account of employés of the Railway Mail Service (railway postal clerks) from 1877 to 1886, together with the amount of appropriation for 1887 and estimate for the same for 1888: The cost of the service for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1886, was. Gives estimated amount required for 1887 Add for increase same amount as before...... Gives estimated amount required for 1888 $4,516, 825 54 236, 707 54 4,753, 533 08 236, 707 54 4,900, 210 62 While this estimate exceeds the current appropriation by but $190,240.62, or 3.96 per cent., I am of the opinion that it will be sufficient to meet all the demands of the service, without in any way impairing its efficiency. I have, therefore, the honor to recommend that for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1888, the sum of $4,990,240.62 be appropriated for the payment of salaries of railway postal clerks. FAST MAILS. Since the date of my last annual report several changes have been made in the fast-mail service which, while apparently slight in themselves, are important in their effects. This is particularly the case on the Pennsylvania Railroad between New York, N. Y., and Saint Louis, Mo. In the summer of 1885 the press of Saint Louis, in the interest of the commercial community of that city and section of country, took occasion frequently to refer to the service between New York and Saint Louis, claiming that it was totally inadequate to meet the demand and insufficient to promote and protect the business relationship existing between these important points. From the numerous complaints received by the Department in reference to this slow service, it was evident that the comments made by the press were fully indorsed by the representative business men of that city, and action was accordingly taken in the matter. The demand of the people of Saint Louis was for an earlier arrival (in the morning) of the afternoon mails from New York, and a similar earlier arrival (at New York in the forenoon) of the afternoon mails from Saint Louis-the former in time for the first carrier delivery at Saint Louis, and the latter to insure arrival before the close of the commercial exchanges and banks on the day of receipt. On July 14, 1885, this matter was brought to the attention of the Pennsylvania Railroad by this office, and an urgent request for improved facilities, between the points above mentioned, was made. The sched ule at this time was: Leave New York...... Leave Saint Louis.... 7.45 p. m. 7.00 a. m., second morning. 7.30 p.m. 8.25 a. m., second day. 11. 22 a. m., second day. The Pennsylvania Company, while indicating a disposition to assist the Department in improving the facilities on its lines, intimated that the demand would involve a radical change in the manner of running the principal trains between New York and Saint Louis, and that the business and passenger interests of the company would hardly admit of a compliance therewith. After considerable correspondence had been exchanged between the company and this office, a very gratifying result was reached on November 30, 1885, when a change of schedule was issued by the Vandalia Railroad, so as to enable trains to leave New York on the old schedule, 7.45 p. m., and arrive at Saint Louis at 5.45 second morning, instead of 7 o'clock. This change not only furnished the Saint Louis business community with their New York mail for the first carrier delivery, but rendered the connections at Saint Louis of this important mail for the Southwest absolutely certain. From that time not a word of complaint has reached this office. Having accomplished the desired improvement for mail arriving at Saint Louis from the East, the improvement in the opposite direction was again brought to the attention of the company as urgently as consistent with official propriety. The schedule from Saint Louis to New York at this time was, as above stated: Or 39 hours and 52 minutes in transit between Saint Louis and New York, reaching Philadelphia for a noon delivery and New York for an afternoon delivery, and too late to be available at the clearing-house until next day. Taking effect December 7, 1885, the Pennsylvania Company agreed to place the postal cars on their fast train (No. 6), leaving Pittsburgh at 7.15 p. m., due at Philadelphia at 5.55 a. m., and at New York at 8.28 a. m. By this change the first carrier delivery was secured at Philadelphia and an early morning delivery at New York, arriving at the latter point in ample time for "change," day of receipt. This change, also, secured all the connections in the early morning at Philadelphia, none of which were made before, and connected at New York with the Boston, Springfield, and New York railway post-office, 9.01 a. m., for all New England, and the 10.30 a. m. express on the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad. Neither of these important connections were possible under the old schedule arriving at New York at 11.22 a. m. The schedule of arrival at New York has been somewhat further improved by having the schedule of train No. 6 quickened, so as to reach Philadelphia at 5 a. m. and New York at 7.23 a. m. This is the present schedule. The important facilities thus secured between, and particularly affecting, the business interests of Saint Louis, Philadelphia, and New York, I consider the most important of the present fiscal year. In connection with the subject of improved facilities between New York and Saint Louis, it is proper to invite your attention to the fact that a very urgent demand has been made by the commercial community of Pittsburgh, Pa., for a better service between New York and Pittsburgh. In March last this subject was presented by the Chamber of Commerce at Pittsburgh, and, on the 16th of the same month, a conference was had at Pittsburgh between a representative of this service, the postmaster at Pittsburgh, and a committee of the Chamber of Commerce, in which there was quite a lengthy discussion in reference to the mail service to Pittsburgh from the east, in connection with a claim, on the part of the commercial body represented, that this service was capable of much improvement. The committee suggested that a mail leaving New York City at a later hour in the evening than at present, and reaching Pittsburgh at an early hour in the morning, be provided. The fact was pointed out to the committee that they were, at that time, receiving a mail from New York, leaving that city at 6 p m., and arriving at Pittsburg at 7.15 a. m. They claimed, in response to this, that, although the mail from New York by train 9, as above mentioned, was an exceedingly valuable accommodation, it was deficient, in the fact that it did not bring the mail from New York City later than 5 o'clock. This is true, as one hour is required between the closing of the mail at the New York postoffice and the departure of the trains from the Pennsylvania depot. The committee further said that much mail is received in the New York office for Pittsburgh after 5 p. m., which does not reach Pittsburgh until 9.35 a. m., and is not delivered until about an hour later-10.35 a. m.; that letters mailed in New York for Pittsburgh at 6.30 p. m. did not reach them until the afternoon following. It was explained to these gentlemen that the Post-Office Department was making use of all the trains provided by the railroad company, and that the Department had recognized the fact that better facilities should exist between these points, and had made numerous efforts to induce the company to furnish better facilities; but, while the company had treated these representations from the Department with great courtesy, it had always contended that there were obstacles which prevented its acquiescence, and no satisfactory result has, as yet, been reached. Thus it will be seen that, while this Department has been most gratifyingly successful in its efforts for an improvement of facilities between Saint Louis and New York, and vice versa, it has thus far been found impossible to afford any improved facilities for the mails from New York to Pittsburgh. However, I do not despair of being able, in the near fu ture, to accomplish some result that will prove decidedly advantageous to the people of Pittsburgh and early morning connections from that point. No change of importance has occurred to the transcontinental fast mails via Omaha, Nebr., and Saint Paul, Minn., the schedules remaining about as stated in my last annual report, excepting the arrival at Chicago at 12.45 a. m., instead of 12.35 a. m., a mere matter of ten minutes, having no effect. A very decided improvement, however, in the facili ties from Chicago for the Northwest (Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), has been secured to the Department by the establishment of limited express trains between Chicago, Ill., and Saint Paul, and Minneapolis, Minn., over the lines of the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroads, commencing May 3, 1886: Leaving Chicago at.. And arriving at Saint Paul at These limited trains furnish the Department with the........ 7.30 p. m. 7.55 a. m. 7.30 p. m. dispatch from Chicago, arriving at Saint Paul early the following morning. Previous to May 3, 1886, all mails reaching Chicago in the p. m. were held for the "fast mail," Chicago and Minneapolis railway post-office: Now, however, all mails arriving in time for the limited trains are dispatched at 7.30 p. m., to the Chicago and Minneapolis railway postoffice, west of Milwaukee, Wis., at which latter point the railway post-office car leaving Chicago at 11.30 a. m. is picked up and carried to Minneapolis by the limited train, arriving at Saint Paul in time to connect the early departing railway post-offices. None of these railway post-offices could receive the p. m. mails from Chicago previous to the establishment of the limited trains; and I am pleased to acknowledge the courtesy extended the Department by the officials of this company for the running of the postal cars on these limited trains as far as seemed to me necessary for the public interest. The only other change of importance is the recent extension of the "fast mail" via the Atlantic Coast Line, from Jacksonville to Tampa, Fla., 241.54 miles. This makes continuous "fast-mail" railway post |