National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-05

none; being much less than losses from stint
lar delinquonCios In 1871 and previous years.
CONTRACTS.
There were In the service Of the Depart
ment on the 30th Of June, 1872, 5,5i4 cOntrac-
tors for the transportation Of the malls on
public routes.
There were at the close Of the year 2, i95
special offices, each with mail carrier
whose pay from the Department IL not al
lowed 10 exceed the net postal yield OF the
office.
OF public mail routes In operation there
were 1850, aggrogating IN length 25l, 8OS
miles, In annual transportation 4,9S4, B22
miles, and In annual cost sl2, bT2, 264. Adding
the compensation Of railway post Office clerks,
rout' agents, mail-TOute messengers, local
agents, mall messengers, and baggage mas
tiers In charge Of registered packages, amount
Ing to q, 208, 9i4, the aggregate annual cost
was Ella, 779, 2O8.
The service was divided "a follows;
Railroad routes, Length, bT,9ll miles; an
nual transportation, ", 49l, 7I9 miles; annual
cost, 90, 5O2, 77l-about TO- 40 cents per mile.
Steamboat routes: Length, 49, 800 miles;
annual transportation 4, sos, 436 miles; annual
cost, ST70, s66-abOut 1910 cents per mile.
Other routes, on which tho malls are re-
quired to be conveyed with celebrity, GER
tainty, and se6hrityi" Length, ia, 627 miles
annual transportation, 4S, lS4, 1877 miles, an
nuAl cost, -, ESQ, 61S--abOut II cents pei
milo.
There was an Increase over the preceding
year In length Of routes Of 1909 mlles; N
annual transportation, T,4ll, 52S miles; and IL
cost, Sl,0L2, 500. Adding the increased cos
for railway post office Clerks, route, local
and other agents, 1881 ,llS the total increas'
in cost was d, 374, $50.
The railroad routes have been Increased II
length S,077 miles, and In cost, en-, ~. As
suming the increase caused by the readjust
ment Of rates for the year ended June 80
1872, 10 be the Same az that shown In Table
for the year ended September 30, 1871, viz
1854, 865, the expense for new railroad service
may be set down at $40, 937, being an ayerag
cost Of Sb2.36 per mile per annum.
PROGRESS OF THE SYSTEM or RAILROAD
MAu-sERyICE.
An Interesting table, compiled from the on
nual reports Of the Department. is presente
herewith, showing the amount Of rallroa
mAil-seryice, and the cost thereof, In succei
siye years, from the commencement Of sucl
service, In 1896, to June 80, 1871. Tho repOl
for 1885 shows the annual transportation o
railroad and steamboat routes combined. Til
length Of railroad routes was first reported I
be va miles at the close Of the year endC
June 30, 1887. The length In 1872 was 81, 81
miles, an increase Of 90, 037 miles In THIRTY
Ave years, being an average Of over /, 62f
miles per nnnuIn, The largest In length Il
any one year was for 1872, being 607T mile
The nrst report Of the annual cost Of railron
routes, uncOmblned with steamboat TOutel
was e53l, 7b2 on the 4th Of November, 1884
The cost In 1879 was "a, 5O2, III, showing O
Increase Of S5Hl, 0l9 In twenty-seyen wear
and an average increase Of over S22l, l48 D,
Rnnum. Tho largest Increase In cost for An
one year was for 1874, being EN-, 100.
RRADJUsTMENT OF PAY OK RAILRoD ROUTE
Table L, presented herewith, exhibits r
turns Of the character and amount Of Il
mall service on railroad routes In the Stat
OF New Jersey, PENNSYLVANIA, DelAWAr
Maryland and Ohio, obtained with view
the read uBtment Of the rates of pay on sue
routes In those States for the new contra
term commencing LIST July, 1872 The tab
contains returns, also, from railroad routes
other States, submitted by the prOpTleto
thereof, as the basis for the adjustment
TeadiuBtment Of their compensation, III
Teadjustment Of rates on old routes and Il
adjustment OF rates on new routes, found
on these returns are shown 10 table +,
which II will be seen that the rates were |
creased on 50 and decreased on IA old, al
fixed on 10 routes, and that the net excess
the present over the former amount of annu
pay by readjustment Is 9354, 1854. The nul
her of new railroad routes put In operate
within the year ending June 30, 1879, was II
on which, as general rule, temporary rat
Of compensation were fixed, not eXceedl
the maximum (G50 per mile per GnnuI
allowed by law to roads OF the third or lowe
class, with the understanding that the p
should RtteTward DO Teadjusted, II necessaI
according IN the grade Of the service, 10
shown by the usual returns. The ~ n,
Foutes included In table + are exceptions
the rule, the prOpTletors having preferred
commence the transportation Of the INF
without q fixed compensation, leaving
rate Of pay 10 be afteTwRFd determined
sording W the grade Of the service.
PogT-RoUTR MAPS.
The preparation and publication Of p
reuia maps have been Sontlnued during