TEMPORARY CONTRACTS. I again invite your attention to the subject of temporary contracts, mentioned in my last report. The law formerly authorized the Postmaster-General, when immediate service became necessary, or a new route was established, to make a temporary contract, without advertisement, "for a period not to exceed twelve months." By section 12 of act of June 23, 1874, and section 251 act of August 11, 1876, the law was so amended as to limit all temporary contracts to six months. This change has caused much embarrassment to the service, and has made it necessary to issue two miscellaneous advertisements each year instead of one, as formerly, thus greatly increasing the labor and expense of the department without seeming to gain any advantage to the service. The extension of the limit for temporary contracts to one year, as formerly, would seem to be an improvement of the law. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. DAVID M. KEY, Postmaster-General. THOS. J. BRADY, Second Assistant Postmaster-General. Cost of inland transportation and the items incident thereto, for the years 1877 and 1878, with the appropriation for 1879, and the estimates of the amounts necessary to be appropriated for 1880; showing the percentage of increase and decrease, with the cost, appropriation, and estimate for mail locks and keys, mailbags and mail-bag catchers. NOTE. The above estimates are based upon the contract prices and annual salaries, without reference to fines and deductions. This will explain the apparent discrepancy between this table aud the Auditor's statement. THOS. J. BRADY, Second Assistant Postmaster-General. EXPLANATION OF TABLES ACCOMPANYING THE REPORT OF THE SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL. POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT, OFFICE OF THE SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL, Washington, D. C., November, 1878. SIR: For a statement of the mail service for the contract year ended June 30, 1878, &c., I have the honor to refer you to the tables hereto annexed. Table A exhibits the character of the service, the length of routes, the number of miles of transportation, and the cost thereof, at the close of the contract year. Table B exhibits the railroad service as in operation on the 30th of June, 1878; also the cost per mile per annum in each State and Territory. Table C exhibits the steamboat service, as in operation on the 30th of June, 1878. Table D shows the increase and decrease of mail transportation and cost, in the several States and Territories, during the year ended June 30, 1878. Table E shows the weight of the mails, the speed with which they are conveyed, the accommodations for mails and agents, the trips per week, and the rates of pay per mile per annum, on railroad routes in States in which the contract term expired June 30, 1878, and also in other States and Territories; the returns having been obtained with a view to the readjustment of pay, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1873, and used also in accordance with the acts of July 12, 1876, and of June 17, 1878, in the case of readjustments taking effect on and after July 1, 1876. This table is accompanied with an alphabetical index of the titles of the companies carrying the mails. Table F shows the readjustment of the rates of pay per mile on railroad routes in States and Territories in which the contract term expired June 30, 1878, and also in other States and on certain new routes, the adjustment of the rates based on returns of the weight of the mails, the speed with which they are conveyed, the accommodations for mails and agents, and the number of trips per week, in accordance with the act of March 3, 1873, and with the acts of July 12, 1876, and of June 17, 1878, in the case of readjustments taking effect on and after July 1, 1876. This table also is accompanied with an alphabetical index of the titles of the companies carrying the mails. Table G is a statement of the number, description, and prices of mail-bags, mail-catchers, mail locks and keys purchased, and of the expense incurred on account thereof, during the fiscal year ended June 30, 1878. Table H is a statement of all contracts in operation on the 30th of June, 1878, for mail-bags, mail-catchers, &c. Also of one contract for mail locks and keys, which expired July 1, 1878. Table I is a list of railway post-office lines in the United States, June 30, 1878, showing the increase in the service since June 30, 1877, also the decrease since that date. Tables K and L, giving in detail the railway mail service in operation June 30, 1878, are inserted for the first time this year. These tables were prepared in the office of the superintendent of railway mail service. They will be particularly valuable as a basis for computing the probable cost of the service, if the proposed law be enacted paying railroad companies for mail transportation according to space occupied and the speed with which the mails are carried. While they may not be absolutely correct, they are so nearly so as to answer every purpose. The greatest care has been taken in their compilation to avoid errors. As a basis for comparison of the growth of the service in future they will be invaluable. If such tables were in existence from the organization of the railway mail service until the present time, some conception of the wonderful growth of the service could be had. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. DAVID M. KEY, Postmaster-General. THOS. J. BRADY, Second Assistant Postmaster-General. States and Territories. A.-Table of mail-service for the year ended June 30, 1878, as exhibited by the state of the arrangements at the close of the year authorized by the PostmasterGeneral. (The entire service and pay on each route are set down to the State under which the route is numbered, though extending sometimes into other States, instead of being divided among the States in which the different portions lie.] Maine Dollars. Miles. Dollars. 5, 426 Miles. 3,551 Miles. New Hampshire 85,058 Miles. Miles. Dollars. 789 2,699 1,917 1, 086 135, 136 1, 716, 637 1,231 178, 828 33, 992 1,206, 108 35 Vermont. 2,000 3, 101, 573 222, 893 651 2, 346 64, 534 603, 711 1,518 47, 229 5, 850 865, 469 1, 475, 030 100, 526 Massachusetts. 828 99, 147 3,090 814, 177 1, 194 Rhode Island 64, 227 1,076, 457 30 1, 890, 634 146, 376 3,500 559 1, 866 237, 672 876, 565 189 12,480 8,007 3,791, 441 198 Connecticut 16,000 4,680, 486 341, 399 172 21, 045 1,799 729 113, 365 New York 26, 715 143, 457 392, 945 1, 070 12,088 183, 776 6, 0:27 414, 856 231, 968 2,283, 936 98 5, 199 5,963 2, 328 1,248, 392 882 3, 107, 074 38, 896 10,984, 701 29, 341 649, 767 2,698, 792 14, 130, 671 45, 052 210, 491 20 Pennsylvania. 1,305 14,008 1,426 1,485, 559 202, 583 9, 056 464, 894 230, 283 16, 562 2, 530,213 88 3, 011, 669 233, 229 5,500 4,864 437 630, 496 179 5, 305 Maryland.. 258 444 19, 658 West Virginia 1,800 56, 822 486 7,950 1, 158 249, 019 5, 350 3, 779, 393 86, 131 1,005, 469 55, 224 8, 111, 210 11, 945, 827 866, 279 246, 399 332, 830 24, 963 4, 927 56, 206 111,384 2,278, 371 245 3, 395, 224 313, 791 Virginia 15, 800 278 11, 2.6 35, 800 1, 185, 141 8, 222 125,892 128, 721 North Carolina 1, 188 40, 000 357, 399 1,668, 432 108, 406 1, 806 10, 689 233, 261 2,549, 060 8, 932 403, 988 109, 338 351 2,042, 140 South Carolina 10, 003 4,995, 188 401, 982 1, 406 107, 148 4, 133 1,724, 116 926 36, 112 50 Georgia.. 1,281 1, 157 7,861 90,219 463, 944 274 98,00 9,947 1,253,474 3,076, 390 226, 489 Florida .... 67, 301 155 1, 166, 251 3,600 1, 640, 142 | 127, 612 2,432 206, 350 4,300 940, 693 210 32, 240 34,045 2,283, 079 Alabama. Mississippi Louisiana. 1,628 100, 358 3,258, 012 277, 251 462 21, 220 9, 761 379, 401 450, 298 98,295 445, 385 840 11, 908 1,275, 084 | 2, 071 155, 623 153, 065 6, 622 1, 339, 500 832 76, 274 149, 674 2, 117, 072 616 3, 606, 246 263, 268 9,000 1, 174 90, 978 6, 226 939, 692 632 107, 279 Texas 2,074 91, 728 874, 962 90,050 1,906, 382 176, 252 520 16, 405 44, 733 822, 548 13, 650 486, 735 473, 616 468, 985 815 1, 765, 149 242, 062 Arkansas. 64, 800 1,931 179,457 10, 099 7,400 3,529, 470 180, 158 152, 127 Missouri. 2,222 1,554, 262 5, 235, 859 94, 600 731, 022 477 30, 233 14, 632 10, 094 1,990, 979 387, 192 201, 912 575 280,756 Tennessee 26, 250 2,658, 927 304, 991 3,963 543, 843 7,745 2,902, 568 Kentucky. 6, 411 81, 663 179, 400 3,844, 584 157 4, 106 6,926, 552 772, 005 1, 177 129, 533 8,816 1,358, 143 Ohio 6, 350 52, 208 93, 709 1,423, 128 1,005 2, 33, 479 48, 800 215, 302 1, 461 171, 437 12, 687 1, 574, 290 Indiana...... 6, 513 436, 592 149, 017 216 17,500 5,958 1, 101, 026 Illinois .... 7,938 2, 449, 614 4, 664 82,643 166, 670 3,274 357, 918 11, 835 1,288, 570 Michigan. 4,711 126, 091 3,894, 207 5, 182, 777 440, 561 7, 124 871, 913 9, 119 1, 643, 530 Wisconsin 578 104, 661 7,873, 940 974 25, 722 9, 517, 470 998, 004 3,567 281, 742 8, 071 1, 438, 658 208 Iowa.... Minnesota 87,793 321, 705 4, 417, 414 6, 177, 777 412, 125 2, 863 265, 915 11, 270 1,451, 003 358 149, 474 2,745, 275 4, 196, 278 353, 708 3, 912 324, 819 7,800 2,250.3:23 87,934 477 149, 566 1, 235, 390 3, 341, 533 1,871, 203 5,591, 856 474, 293 3, 106, 593 237,500 |