Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-02
CLOUD OF CONTRACTORS has settled upon
the Post Office department.

AWARDS OF MAIL CONTRACTS for routes in
Colorado and New Mexico were made today
at the Post Office department. Proposals for
carrying mails in safe and suitable steamboats,
IN the states OF Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas,
Oregon and California, and in Washington
territory. were opened, and awards will be
made on Monday.
3-65 POSTAL SAVINGS BoNDs.-A majority
OF the House banking and currency commit
tee have agreed to the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Phillips providing for the issue
OF $50 per cent. postal savings bonds. The
Dill enables any holder OF lawful money to de-
post In any postal meney-Order office of the
United States not less than twenty-five cents
at any one time, and when the sum shall reach
ten dollars the postmaster shall issue, free of
charge transferable postal order for the
amount on the Treasury, receivable in ex-
change for United States bonds bearing inter-
est at the rate of 3.65 per cent. and exempt
from all taxation, which bonds may be eX-
changeable for United States notes, with in
terest: the postal orders to be also redeemable
IN @ currency. A special issue of Treasury
notes, legal tender for all debts except duties
on imports and payment Of interest on the
public debt, is provided for to the amount of
ten per cent. OF the postal money-Orders and
postal savings bonds outstanding, until such
special issue reach $50,0O0,00O, which shall be
used exclusively in the redemption OF the
postal savings bonds.
IHE NAVAL. lNVESTIGATION.--Repr
tive Willis committee investigating the Navy
department was in session to-day at the Navy
department, and had before it Chief Medical
Director Grier, Chief of the Bureau of Steam
Engineering Shock, Chief of the Bureau of
Navigation Shock. and PaymaSter General
Cutler.
THE NEW SILVER Enthusiastically af-
ternOOn the Secretary of the Treasury ap-
proved the design Ofthe new silver dollar, and
instructions were issued to prepare the dies az
once. The converse of the coin bears q full
cut head Of Liberty crowned with a Phrygian
cap. decorated with wheat and cotton, the le
gend, E PluribuS Unum,' thirteen stars and
the year of coinage. On the reverse, SUI
rounded by an olive wreath. is an eagle with
Outspread wings, bearing in his talOnS a
branch of olive and bundle of arrows, en-
blemS of peace and war; the inscriptions
United States of America" and "One Dollar
and the motto ''m God we Trust" The work
ing dies will be ready in ten days, and mean
while the silver bullion will pass through all
the processes Of putting it in shape for coin
ing into dollars. except that of stamping. and
fOr which particular operation the capacity o.
the mint is in excess of the other operations.
so that in reality but little delay IN coinage
will be OccaSiOned by the dies not being now
ready. The force at the different mintS will
be increased Immediately. and DR.. Linderman
states that by April l. the new silver dollar
Will be rolling out at the rate of three and a
half millions per month. The supply of frac-
tlOnal silver coins at the mint and different
treasury offices is sufficient to meet any de-
mand likely to arise for several months to
come.