The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-12-13


orm to enable II hereafter u dee oed
prac ic,hle ard worthy, to legislute on
the subject without delay.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The report OF the Secretary Of the
Navy. herewith accompanying, ex.
mains fully the condition of that branch
of the public service, Its wants and de-,
ficieucies. expenses incurred during the
past wear, and appropriations for the
same It also gives a complete history
of the services OF the navy for the past
year. In addition to Its regular service
il Is evident that unless steps are taken
to preserve our navy that In very few
wears the United States will be the
weakest nation upon the ocean of all
great powers. With an energetic, pro.
rressive, business people like ours, pen.
etrating and forming business relations
with every known part of the world, a
navy strong enough to command the
respect of our flag abroad u necessary
for the full protection OF their rights.
recommend careful consideration by
Congress Of the recommendation made
by the Secretary Of the Navy.
Posr-oFFfcE DEPARTMENT..
The accompanying report Of the Post
master General furnishes q full and sat
isiactory exhibit of the operations ot
the Post Office Department during the
year. The ordinary revenues of the
department for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1872, amounted to S2l ,9l5 426
81, and the expenditures $26 65S, 1921
Compared with the previous fiscal year
the increase Of revenue was 81 ,S78 $3.50. 80
nj N n
penditures 81, ,2Gs, ,0SS 90, or 929 per cent.
adding to the ordinary revenues the
annual appropriation of 100000 for fres
matter, aud the amounts paid to the
subsidized mail steamship lines from
special appropriations, the deficiency
paid out Of tue General Treasury was
50 317 ,76j 81, an excess of S3S9, ,707 2S
over the deficiency for the year 1871.
Other interesting statistical Information
relating to our rapidly extending postal
service is furnished In this report. The
total length of railroad mail routes on
the Both Of June, 1872, was 57,9l1 miles,
or additional miles of such service
having been put into operation during
the year, eight new lines OF railway
post offices have been established, with
an aggr, gate length of 2 900 miles. The
number Of letters exchanged In the
mails With foreign countries was 81 1862, =
500, an increase of 4 ,06G 502, or 20 per
cent over the numoer in 1871, and the
postage thereon amounted to 1,871,-
267 ,25; the total weight of the mails
exchanged with European countries
exceeded 800 tons. The cost of the
United States Transatlantic mail steam.
ship service was $500 3Ol. 70; the total
cost of the United states ocean steam.
ship service, including the amounts
paid to the subsidized line Of mail
steamers, was 81 ,027 ,020 81. The follow
ing are the only steamship lines now
receiving subsidies for mail service
under special act of Congress. The
PacificMail steamship Company receive
$500, 200 per annum for carrying a
mouthly mail between San Francisco,
Japan and China, which will be in
creased to $1,000,000 per annum for a
semi monthly mail on and after October
/, 1873. The United States and Brazil
Mail Steamship Company receive 81 50,-
0O0 per annum for conveying monthly
mail between New York and Rio de
Jaueiro, Brazil, and the California, Or
egon and Mexican Steamship Compa-
ny receive $75, 900 per annum for carry
ing monthly mail between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands,
making the total amount of mail steam.
ship subsidies at present $725, 1000 per
annum. Our postal communications
with all parts of the civilized world
have been placed upon most advan-
tageous footing by the improved postal
connections and arrangements recently
concluded with the leading commercial
countries OF Europe and America, and
the gratifying statement Is made that
~f -. .nk-
convention with France, the details Of
which have been definitely agreed to by
the head of the French Postal Depart.
ment subject to the approval of the
Minister Of Finance, little remains to
be accomplished by the treaty for some
time to come with respect either to
reduction OF rates or improved facilities
OF postal intercourse. Your favorable
consideration Is respectfully invited to
the recommendations made by the Post.
master General for an increase Of SER
vice from monthly to semi. monthly
trips On the mail steamship route to
Brazil; for subsidy inside of the
establishment of an American line of
mail steamers between San Francisco.
New Zealand, and Australia; for the
establishment of office savings
banks, and for the increase of the sal
aries Of the heads of bureaus. have
heretofore recommended the abolition
OF the franking privilege, and see no
reason now for changing my views on
that subject. 1t not having been favor
aoly regarded by Congress, however, 1
now suggest modification of that
privilege to correct its glaring and costly
abuses. l would recommend, also, the
appointment of committee or commits.
sion To take into consideration the best
method, equitable to private corpora.
lions who have invested their time and
capital in the establishment of tele.
graph lines, of acquiring the title to all
Telegraph lines now In operation, and
OF connecting this service with the pos.
III s'rvlch Of the nation. 1t iS not
probable that this subject could receive
the proper consideration during the
limits of short session of CONGRESS.
but it may be initiated so that further
action may be fair to the Government
and to private parties concerned. There
are but three lines of ocean steamers
namely, the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company between San Francisco, China
and Japan, with provision made for
semi month"; y service after October /,
1873; the United States and Brazil Line,
monthly; and the California, New
Zealand, and Australian Line-monthly
plying between the United States and
foreign ports, and owned and operated
under our flag. l earnestly recommend
that such liberal contracts for carving
the mails be authorized with these
lines as will insure their continuance.
If the expediency of extending the aid
OF Government to lines of steamers
which hitherto have not received it
should be deemed worthy Of the consid.
tion of Congress, political and CONNER
cial objects make 1t advisable to bestow
such aid on line under our flag be.
tween Panama and the Western South
America ports. By this means much
trade now diverted to other countries
might be brought to US, to the mutual
advantage Of this country and those
lying.in that quarter of the continent
of America. The report of the Secre
tary of the Treasury will show an
alarming falling off in the carrying
trade for the last ten or twelve years, or
even for the past year. do not believe
that public treasure can be better ex.
pended In the interest of the whole
DpODle than in tryinp IN raenypr fhia