Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1886-06-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From onr regular corrcspondcnt)
WASrHyGsnN. lam" y, 1856


Having entered upon the seventh
month of the fist session of the
forty ninth congress, the lower house
! proposes to make an effort to GROVE
the work through within the time
consumed by the session ending
July 10Th 1891. This prospect to
the outside observer, Is not very
promising, but those supposed to
direct the majority of the upper and
lower houses, say that 1t can and
probably will he accomplished.
There is already talk of introducing
a resolution in the house fixing June
26th, for adjournment with the ex-
pectation that the date will not be
set more that ten or twelve days be-
yond the time.
The president and his wife have
under contemplation a tour of the
northern lakes with a select party
of friends in Il chartered steamer,
during the summer. 1t IS probable
that they will spend some time on
the sea coast and IN the mountain re-
gions after the adjournment of con-
gress, and then go to their old home
in Buffalo. According to the pro-
gram they will leave Buffalo some
time III August and make a trip
which will include Lake Erie, HUI
ron and Michigan making stops at
points of interest. The program
may be varied or abandoned: but it
is under serious consideration at the
White House and will proba ply be
carried out. Much will depend up
on the date of the adjournment of
congress. If congress does not
adjourn before August, the presi-
dent will of course be detained in
Washington, and his summer outing,
as now proposed, will be abandoned.
1t Is said that the president and his
wife have never been further west
than the city of Buffalo. Mr..
Cleveland IS quite anxious to make
a tour of the lakes, and if he does
so, the Chicago Iroquois Club, to
which he has standing invitation,
will doubtless entertain him.
There seems to have been very
good management displayed in the
matter of making contracts for
postofiice supplies during the elgh
teen months past and consequently
a great saving to the government
has been the result. During Judge
Grashams' term as postmaster gen
eral this business became greatly
mixed and certain contracts were let
which subsequently proved not to
have been entire busIness-1ike trans
actions. Postmaster General Villas
is giving special attention to this
class of work under him, and alto
gether with third Assistant Post
master HaZen, after much careful
labor, now have binding contracts
which, while they will doubtless yield
fair profits to the contractors, will,
at the same time, be of great advan-
tage and benefit to the public at
large. Take for instance the con-
tract for stamped enveloves. just
made by the postmaster general for
the four" coming years, commencing
July 1st. Before advertising for
proposals for these envelopes the
department had great deal of pre-
paratory work to transact consisting
chiefly of getting the most suitable
paper for the various styles of en-
velopes, changing the styles Of the
old ones, and other work of a SINH
lar nature 1t is estimated that
there will be ordered by the de-
partment during the coming year,
$3, 100000 worth of stamped en-
velopes. If it should pay for them
on the basis of the present contract
d disbursement of over $3.50, 900
over and above that sum would be
required. The result will therefore
be a saving of upward of a million
of dollars or about % per cent.
Take again, the contract for sup
plying the department with postal
cards, stamps, tags, registered
packages and dead letter and Official
envelopes. This contract was en-
tered into ON the 30th of June last,
and is to run four years, The first
year is near enough its close to en-
able very correct idea being form
ed as ia how it has worked so far
and how it will work 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 re-
farrad r., ar,atnfinn 70 c1+ 020 0S2 :