St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-06-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, June IA, 1886.
l'ron Our Regular Correspondent.

ninth Congress, the lower House pro-
poses to make an effort to crowd the
work through within the times con-
sumed by the session ending July 18th
1884. This prospect to the outside OBJ
server, is not very promising: but those
supposed to direct the majority OF the
upper and lower Houses, say that it
can and probably will be accomplished.
There is already talk of introducing a
resolution in the House fixing June
aGth, for adjournment with the expec-
tatiun that the date will not be set
more than ten OF twelve days beyond
that time.
Y The president and his wife have un
der contemplation a tour of the north
ern lakes with select party of friends
in "A chartered steamer, during the
sunlmer. 1t is probable that they will
spend some time on the sea-coast and
il the mountain regions after the adj
journment Of Congress, aud then go
to their old home in Buffalo. Accord
ing to the program they will leave
Buffalo some time in August and make
Il "trip which will include Lake Bile,
Huron and Michigan making stops at
nointS of interest. Tie program may
be varied or abandoned, but it is unGer
serious consideration at the White
House and Will probably be carried out.
Much will depend upon the dare OF the
,linurDtnant af If t'puurpSS
does not adjourn before August, the
President will of course be detained in
Washing gton, aud his summer outing,
as now proposed, will be abandoned.
IT is said that the President and his
wife have never been farther west
than the city of Buffalo. Mr. Cleve-
land is quite anxious to make a tour OF
the lakes, and if be does so, the Chlca-
go Iroquois Club, to which he has
standing invitation, will doubtless en-
tertain him.
There seems to have been very good
enlargement displayed in the matter
of making contracts for post-ofice sup
plies during the eighteen months past
and consequently great saving to the
Government has been the result. Dur
ing Judge Gresllams term as Postmas-
ter General this business became great
" mixed and certain contracts were let
which subsequ -nty proved not to have
been entire business-like transactions.
Postmaster General Villas is giving
special attention to this class of work
under him, and together with thnd AS
ysistant Postmaster General Hazen, af-
ter much careful labor, now have bind
ing contracts which, while they will
doubtless yield fair profits to the con-
tractors, will at the same time, be of
great advantage and benefit to the pub
lie at large Take for instance the
contract for stamped envelopes, just
made by the 2ostmaster-General for
the four coming years, commencing
posals for these envelopes the Depart
4aent had a great deal OF preparatory
work to transact consisting chiefly of
getting tile most suitable paper for the
various styles of envelopes, changing
the stylas of the old ones, and other
work of a similar nature. 1t is estl-
mated that there will be ordered by
the Department during the coming
year, S3,250,OO0 worth OF stamped en-
velopes II it should pay for them on
the basis of the present contract dis
bursement Of over S95O,OOO over and
above that sum would be required.
The result will therefore be saving OF
upward Of million of dollars or about
2j per cent.
Take, again, the contract for supply
ing the Department with postal cards,
stamps, tags, registered packages ana
dead letter and official envelopes. This
contract was entered into on the 3oth,
of June last and is to run four years.
The first year is near enough It's close
to enable very correct idea being
formed as to how it has worked so far
and how it will work for the remaining
three years. By the last Of this month
it is estimated that the books will
show orders by the Department for
supplies under the contract referred to
amounting to 81 1882, 253, 5S9; and the
amount paid for them will show a de-
crease of about 25 per cent in the out
lay for postage stamps, about II per
cent in postal cards, and 45 per cent IN
,tier articles during the previous fiscal