OF THE

POSTMASTER-GENERAL

OF THE

UNITED STATES;

BEING PART OF

THE MESSAGE AND DOCUMENTS

COMMUNICATED TO THE

TWO HOUSES OF CONGRESS

AT THE

BEGINNING OF THE THIRD SESSION OF THE FORTY-SIXTH CONGRESS.

DOCUMENTS

NIA

CONTENTS.

REPORT PROPER OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL

Domestic correspondence-statistics of transportation of the mails, 5; Post-offices estab-

lished and postmasters appointed, 6; Number of post-office inspectors and employés of the

railway mail service-employés in the postal service, 7; Railway post-office liues-receipts

and expenditures, 8; Amount drawn from the Treasury on appropriations-estimates for

1882-deficiency appropriations, 9; Liabilities-collection-order system discontinued-

postage stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal cards, 10; Increase in issues of postage-

stamps, &c.-postage on newspapers and periodicals-dead letters and other mail matter,

11; Charitable distribution of dead literature-statistics of registration, 12; Estimates for

the contract office-special facilities for fast-mail service-star service, 13; Temporary star

service-work of the topographer's office, post-route maps, &c-new table of distances

required-operations of post-office inspectors, 14; Arrests and convictions-cases acted

upon by inspectors, 15; The free-delivery system, 16; Postage on local matter-aggregate

result of the free-delivery system, 17: The postal money-order system-proposed reduc-

tion of fees-number of domestic money-order offices, 18; Issues and payments of domes-

tic money-orders, 19; Duplicate money orders-revenues and expenses of the domestic

money-order system, 20; Remittances of surplus money-order funds-transfer of funds

and drafts, 21; Money orders erroneously paid, 22; International money-order business,

23; Increased issue of foreign money-orders, 26; Foreign money-order accounts, 27; Gen-

eral financial result of the money-order business, 28; Foreign mails-cost of ocean mail

service, 29; Admissions to the Universal Postal Union-the foreign mail service in 1880

compared with that of 1876, 30; Modifications of postal union arrangements and details,

32; Modifications of postal regulations and details respecting mail exchanges with coun-

tries and colonies not yet admitted to the Universal Postal Union, 34; Subjects requiring

legislation-indemnity for lost registered matter-the packet post, 35; Encouragement to

American ocean steamers, 36; Foreign mail statistics, 36; Lottery letters in the mails, 37;

The railway mail service, 39; Need of a departmental library-the annual count of matter

mailed-need of additional clerical force, 40; Changes in laws-suits against postmasters-

postmasters' salaries-postal savings, 41; Postal telegraphs-disposal of valueless papers

on file, 42; Need of a new department building, 43; The Washington City post-office-

general condition of the postal service, 44; Conclusion, 45.

REPORT OF FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL .....

Appointment division-bond division, 49; Salary and allowance division, 50; Letter carriers'

division-blank agency division-lease desk, 51; Letter-book desks-principal messen-

ger-compensation to postmasters, 52; clerks in post-offices, 53; Free delivery-rent of

post-offices, 54; Miscellaneous and incidental expenses, 55; Appointments of postmas-

ters, 56; Increase and decrease of post-offices, 57; Operations of free-delivery service,

58-61: Issues of post-office supplies, 62; Issues of blanks, &c., 64; Count of mail, statis.

tics of domestic correspondence, 69.

REPORT OF SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL..

Inland transportation-railroad service, appropriations for 1881, 73; Estimate for 1882-es-

timate for railway post-office cars-special facilities for fast mails, 74; Star service, 75;

temporary service-fast mail to Havana, and improved mail facilities to Mexican and

South American ports-clerical force, 77; Estimates-star service-steamboat service-

mail messengers, 79; Mail equipment division-estimates for 1882, 80; Railway mail serv

ice, 81; Fines and deductions-review of results of changes in the law, 82; Cost of in-

land transportation, 85; Explanation of tables, 86.

Page.

5-45

49-64

73

Table A. Showing the character of the mail service, length of mail routes, number of miles

of annual transportation, and the cost thereof, as exhibited by the state of the arrange-

ments at the close of the fiscal year 1880..

87-88

Table B. Exhibiting, by States, the railroad service in operation June 30, 1880, with the

annual cost per mile of each route..

89-135

Table C. Exhibiting, by States, the steamboat service in operation June 30, 1880, with the

annual cost per mile of each route...

136-141