The Portland daily press., 1886-11-22
FROM WASHINGTON.
Light Granite Preferred.

Light Granite Preferred.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20.-There is fair
prospect that one Of the New England quar-
rles will obtain the contract for the stone for
the new national library building, which
Will be fine thing for whoever gets it. The
value OF the stone, when delivered, will be
more than S5000OO The library commits
sloners have not yet determined what sort of
stone they will use. but they are reported
70 be In favor Of the lightest-colored granite
that is to be had, and this, as is well known,
comes from Maine and Massachusetts quar-
ries: Gov. Bodwell Of Maine, who has one
OF the largest quarries in the country, was
here the other day to look into the matter.
The commissioners will obtain samples of
all the best stone of different kinds In this
country. 1t is said that there are, In fact,
only two quarries in the country that are
capable OF turning out the stone necessary
In the construction of this building. The
Indiana oolitic stone is thought to be too
soft Tor the purpose, and 1t is not desired to
have another marble building so near the
capitol. The probability Is therefore, at
present strongly in favor Of New England
granite.
Postmasters. Appointed.
Inc Postmaster General has appointed the
following named fourth class postmasters:
J. r. Whittridge, Montrose, Mass. G. w.
Cutting, Jr., Weaton. Mass.
Postmasters Commissioned.
Gen. John M. V. Corse, recently appointed
postmaster at Boston, has received his COM
mission and Will assume the duties of his
Office December 1st.
harrity All Right.
Postmaster Harrity and Representative
Randall had an interview with Postmaster
General Villas today, at which they urged
that the recommendations of the inspectors,
OF increases and other changes in the cler-
ical force of the Philadelphia post office, be
carried out. The Postmaster General prom
lsed to consider the requests He is fOrrnu-
latlng new plan for distributing clerical
allowances among all the leading postoffices.
so as to make the distribution more equable
He took occasion to assure Harrity that he
mad his confidence. and that his administra-
Il0n OF the Philadelphia post Office now had
his approval.
Entitled to Two Salaries.
First Comptroller Durham said today, that
while he had not decided the question, he
was OF opinion that Hon. S. S. Cox was en-
Titled to compensation as a member of Com
gress from the time the salary of his prede-
cessor ceased, Notwithstanding the fact
that he has already received compensation
as United States minister at Constantinople
during the same period.
Lieut.. Schuetze Entitled to Sea Pay.
Second Comptroller Maynard has made
decision that Lieut. VIM. III. Schetze, United
States Navy. is entitled to the highest rate
period be was engaged in the search for
Lieut.: Chlpp and party on the Lena delta
and also while engaged in transporting the
remains Of Lieut.. Com. DeLong and his
associates from Northern Siberia to the
United States.
The Postmaster Generals Report.
Following is an abstract of the Post
master Generals annual report: No statis-
teal account is maintained in the United
n N ~ Or
OF pieces, of domestic mails; but, from the
number of postal cards. stamps and pieces
OF stamped paper sold TO the public, it may
be unquestlonably affirmed that the mail
matter handled by our postal service greatly
outweighs and outnumbers that of any other
postal system. Trustworthy estimates place
the number of letters mailed during last
year at l00, 100000 more tia were mailed in
Great Britain, long the leading letter-writ-
ing nation, and nearly that number more
than were mailed in Germany. France and
Austria combined. Excluding Germany, it
is thought that all other postal union coun
tries do not altogether carry so many news
papers In their mails as did ours last year.
oi all pieces OF matter mailed, the proper
tion to each inhabitant of the United States
Is estimated at 66, Of Great Britain at 81, of
Germany at 10.
On the 1st OF October the total number Of
post offices in the country was 54,l57, of
which 1866 were of the fourth class and
2,29l Presidential; the latter standing 70 in
the first, 400 in the second, and 1876 in the
third class. Adding the stations, the total
number was 54,654. On the same date the
number Of money order Offices and stations
reached 1868.
The appointments of postmasters during
the last fiscal year numbered altogether 22,-
TAI; OF which 9,112 were made to fill va
cancies occasioned by designations or expired
commissions, 5oT TO vacancies caused by
death, 3,4o2 on the establishment of new
offices, and $3.50 upon removals. OF the
total number of appointments, 1899 were
made by the President, the vacancies having
occurred from the following causes. re-
spectively, viz: BY expiration of commits
sion, 1853; by designations, 253; by death, "a;
by removals or suspensions, PAT; and to
offices which had been assigned from the
fourth to the third class. AZ.
During the year there has been an increase
Of 4S3 letter carriers, making total number
of 4,S41.
The cost of the carrier system rose by the
amount Of 1926, ,354.15, or S.18 per cent, to
total sum of S4,312,306.70. This, however,
was over S220,000 less than the estimates of
the department, and within the appropria-
tion of S4.4S5, 900 by S172, ,603.30.
The number of pieces of mail matter
counting collections and deliveries, handled
by the carriers during the year, was 1,949,-
520,5 ,599, an increase over the previous year Of
2O4, 1856, or l1.75 per cent, while the carri-
ers increased but 11.0S per cent in number.
The amount of postage on local matter is
reported at $5,S39, 242.07; an increase of
S55S, ,5lSo7, or 1887 per cent, on the previous
year; while the excess of such postage over
the cost OF the service was $1,526, ,93627; a
gain ol S232, ,165.72, or 1888 per cent.
The money order system has been conduct
ed during the past year in accordance with
its well-established methods and with Gus
tomary efficiency 1t was extended to
81 additional post offices, while
under authority of the act of March 3, 1885,
and put in operation on the 1st day of 0cto-
Der, this year. The act limited the service to
free delivery offices and such others as served
places with aspJpulation of 10000 or more and
its privileges were thus operative at but 555
postoffices.
Taking the full year of the system, the
amount of fees paid for special delivery is
put by the returns received at SS4, 7S4. AZ,
leaving gross profit to the government Of
$27,097.5S; figures approximately, though not
nicely, accurate.
The annual cost Of transporting the mails
was $29,073, 1886. During the past year the
increase in the cost of the service over 1885
is shown by the following items:
For pOStmaSterS' compensation, S104, 329.-
"a for clerks in postoffices, S103,S STOPS; for
free delivery service, 1926, ,344.15; for railroad
transportation, S59l ,0SS.07 for railway postal
clerk, $221, ,56S.57; for star route service,
$40, 10; for stamped envelopes and wrap
pers, SGT, ,269. IS; for foregn mail transporta
tion, S33, ,466.S9; and for special delivery ser
vice, S67, ,65214.
Letter-sheet envelopes have long been au-
thorized by statute, and Postmaster General
Howe attempted their Introduction in 1881
by making contract with the owner of one
of the many patents. The contractor failed
TO berfOrm, and no further steps were taken
TO provide them until last year A contract
was made in October.
Issues began in August OF this year and
the envelope appears to find popular favor.
The earlier manufactures were defective in
the quality Of paper and in the cumming.
but the later articles are more satisfactory.
The demand appears to increase, and the IS
sue to the lst OF November instant amount
to nearly three millions in number
The total number Of pieces received at the
dead letter office was 5,023,745. Letters Ia
the number of 13s containing money ag.
gregating S21, ,732, besides Is, ,1O5 letters con
tanning drafts, checks, or other instruments
fer the payment of money of the total face
value of 81, ,121 ,154 "a were delivered to the
owners. The revenue derived from dead
letters which could not be restored to own
ers, and from auction sale of unclaimed par.