The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1870-12-24

ING
foreign vessels in the carrying tradel Is so much
greater in the United States in foreign ooun-
tries that without some assistance from the Govern
ment they cannot be successfully built here. There
will be several prososition hid before Congress IN
the of the present session looking to remedy
for this evil, even if it should be at some cost to the
National Treasury. | hope such encouragement I
will be given viii secure American shipping on |
the high seas, and American shipp-building at t
home.
THE PUBLIC ARCHIVES.
The condition Of the archives at the Department of
State calls for the early action OF Congress. The
building now rented by that department is frail
structure at an inconvenent distance from the Ex-
ecutiye mansion and from the other departments. !
1t is Ill adapted to the purpose for which is used,
has not capacity to accommodate the archives, and Is
not fire proof Its remote situation, its slender con-
structun, and the absence of a supply of water in
the neighburhood leaves but little hope of safety for
either the building contents i'll OF the accident
OF ire It's destruction would involve the loss OF the
rolls containing the original acts and resolutions of
Congress, Of the historic records of the Revolution
and Of the confederation of whole series of diplomat
&c and consular archives since the adoption OF the
Constitution and of the many other valuable records
and papers left with that department when it was
the principal repository of the government archives
recommend an appropriation for the construction
OF building for the Department of State. 1recom-
mend to your reconsideration the prOpriety of trans
ferrng to the Department of Interior, to which they
seem more appropriately TO belong, all powers and
duties in relation to the territories with which the
Department Of State is charged by law usage,
and from the Interior Department TO the War De-
partment the Pension Bureau far ii regulates
the payment Of soldiers pensions. would also rec
ommend that the payment of naval pensions be
partment.
ESTIMATES OF EXPENSES.
The estimates for the expenses Of the Government
for the next fiscal year $40 l0l less than
tor the current one, but exceed the appropriations
for the present year, for the same items $SJl2 l2t
this estimate however, included So }3S, 2tS
for public work heretofore begun under the Con
gressional provision, and Of which only so much Is
asked as Congress may choose to give. The apprO-
priaon for the work for the present fiscal year
was 81, 1854, 5l6.05.
GOLD AND CURRENCY.
The average value of gold, compared with the
national currency for the whole of the year 1869,
about 1884, and for II months of 1870, the same rela
tive value has been about I15. The approach to
specie basis is very gratifying but the fact cannot be
denied that the instability of the value of our cur
rency is prejudicial to prosperity ana tends TO
keep up prices to the detriment of trade. The evils
Of a deprecated and fuctuating currency, are SO
great that now, when the premium on gold has fall
much, it would seem that the time has arrived
when, by wise and prudent legislation, Congress
should look to policy which would place our cur
| rency at par with gold at no distant day.
REDUCTION OF THE TAXES.
The tax collected from the people has been re-
duCed more than $50 600 600 per annum. BY steadi
in few short years, the national tax-gathcrer may
not disappear from the door Of the citizen almost
entirely. With the stamp dispensed by post
masters in every community, tax upon liquors of
al Sorts and tobacco III all its forms, and by wise
adjustment of the tariff, which viii put duty only
upon those articles which could dispense with,
known as luxuries and on those which we use more
of than we produce, revenue enough may be raised
after few years of peace and the consequent reduc
ton of Indebtedness to fulil all our obligations. 4
further reduction OF expenses in addition TO rcdc-
ton Of interest account may be relied ON to make
this practicable Revenue REFORM if it means this,
has my hearty support. If it implies collection OF
all the revenues for the support Of the Government
| for the payment Of principal and interest OF the
| public debt, pensions, ETC., by directly taxing
/ the people, then am against reyenuC ref 7rm and
! confidently believe the people with me- If 1t
means failure to provide the necessary means to
defray all expenses of the Government, and thereby
! the reputation of the public debt and pensions,
then l still more opposed to such kind Of revenue
reform. Revenue reform has not been defined by
any Of its advocates to my knowledge, but II seems
! to be accepted something which is to supply ev-
| cry mans wants without any cost or effort ON his
| part. A true revenue reform cannot be made in
day, but must be the work of national legislation
| and of time As as the revenue can be dis
pensed with, all duty should be removed from COT
fee tea, and other articles Of universal Use not pro
duced by ourselves The necessities OF the country
compel US to collect revenue from imports. An
| army of assessors and collectors is not pleasant
sight to the citizens, but that tariff for revenue
is necessary. such tariff, so far as it acts III en-
cOuragement to home products, affords employment
to labor at living wages in contrast to the pauper Ia
Dor OF the old world and also III the development OF
home resources.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
Under the act of Congress of the 18th day of july
1870, the army has gradually been reduced, that
on the LIST of January, 1871, the number of commits
stoned officers and men viii not exceed the number
contemplated by the laws. The Department build
ing old structure, not freprOOf, and entirely
inadequate in dimensions to our present wants
Many thousands of dollars now spent annually
for the rent Of private buildings to accommodate the
| various Bureaus of the Department 1 recommend
an appropriation Tor new War Department building
| suitable TO the growing wants OF the nation The
report OF the Secretary OF War shows very satstac
tory reduction in the expenses of the army for the
last fiscal year For details you referred to his
accompanying report.
| THE NAVY
! The expenses of the navy for the whole of
the last year, I. e., from Dec l, 1869 the dates
of the last part, are less than so. 900 coo, or
about 81, 900, 900 less than they were the pre-
| viOus year. The expenses since the COM
| mencement Of the fiscal year. 1. G.. since July
LIST, show for the five months decrease of
over 3, 400, 600 from those of the correspond
ing months of last year. The estimates for
the current year were 1913, 205, 676.65; those for
the fiscal year are $50 6S7, 3l7, with 1856. 100
additional for necessary permanent improve
ments. These estimates are made closely for
the maintenance Of the naval establishment
as it now is, without much in the nature of
permanent Improvement. The appropriation
made for the last and current year we're evil
IDENTIFY intended by Congress, and are sufficient
only to keep the navy on It's present footing
by the repairing and refitting of our old ships
This policy must of course gradually but
surely destroy the navy and it is in itself far
from economical, as each year that it Is pur-
sued, the necessity for mere repairs in ships
and nayy-yards becomes more imperative and
more costly, and our current expenses
are annually increased for the mere
repair of ships many of which must
| soon become unsafe and useless. / hope, dur
ing the present session of Congress, to he able
to submit to it plan by which naval vessels
can be built, and repairs made. with a great
saving upon the present cost. 1t can hardly be
wise craftsmanship in a Government which
represents a country with over five thousand
miles of coast-line on both oceans exclusive of
Alaska, and containing forty millions Of pro-
| gressiye people, with relations of every nature
with almost every foreign country; to rest
with snch inadequate means of enforcing any
| foreign policy. either of protection or redress.
| Separated by the ocean from the nations of
| the Eastern continent, our navy Is our only
means of direct protection to our citizens
| abroad. or for the enforcement of any foreign
| policy.
| THE POST-OFFTCE DEPARTMENT.
The accompanying report of the Postmaster
| General shows a most satisfactory working of
| the Department. With the adoption of the
| recommendations contained therein, particu-
larry those relating to a reform in the franknig
| privilege, and the adoption of correspondence
cards, a self-sustaining postal system may
| speedily be looked for and at no distant day.
/ further reduction of the rate of postage at
| tanned.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
| recommend the authorization by Congress
| of the Postmaster General and Attorney Gen
era to issue all commissions to officials appoint
| ed through their respective departments. At
/ present these commissions, where appoint
| menta are presidential, are issued by the State
| DaIga The law all the 1ppartrnau+a