National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03


tolustity me In recommending the passage Of |
law by which Mr.. IIillhuuse shall he re- |
leyed from responsibility In the matter Of the .
dc lcation Of johnson.
The report Of the Supervising Architect Of
the Treasury furnishes concise statement Of
the cost aud condition Of the public buildings
In charge OF this Department. Large sums Of
money will be needed for the buildings already |
begun or authorized and | respectfully advise !
that beyond the erection OF pavilion hos
pitfalls aud u building for the accommodation
Of the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing and
the storage Of the books and papers Of this
Department, no new works be authorized at
the present session Of Congress.
The business Of the Office Of the Supervising
Architect Of the Treasury Is fully equal to the
force employed, and the necessary apprupria-
tiOns are so large rs to Justify Congress In re-
flushing all applications during the present Sos
Sion.
The destruction Of the buildings on tho cast
Crly side Of the new post office In the city Of
Boston furnishes an opportunity that ought
not to lie lost for the purchase Of the rcmaln-
der Of the square.
A station-housc has been erected aud fur
nlshcd ut Narragunsott pier
From the appropriation Of $50, coo, for
| tho establishment Of liiC-sayng stations un
the coasts Of Cape Cod aud Block Island, K.
| l., nine houses have been erected Uu Cape
Cod aud one gu Block Island, and they will
| he supplied with apparatus and ready for use
| by tho LIST Of January next. An apprOpria-
tlon Is required for the support OF keepers
! and crews,
| The Block Island station and the station at
NarragansUtt pier should be annexed to the
| Long Island district.
Twenty-Five vessels have beou wrecked ON
the coasts Of Long Island aud New Jersey
since July |, 1871, valued, with their cnrgocd,
at over $500 coo, ON which the loss was about
I hR Rff l,fsFGI
Dog persons, all Of whom were saved, and
mainly, 1t Is believed, through the agency Of
tho lifo-saying stations.
respectfully recommend the extension Of
the system ~ the coast Ia the vicinity Of Cape
HAtteras.
From the report of the supervising surgeon
Of Marine hospitals 1t appears that that branch
Of the public service Is In satisfactory con-
ditlon.
During the last fiscal year 1885 patients
were treated In the several hospitals Of the
country ut an average cost Of about " cents
each per day, or total expenditure Of s398, e
2B3.ll, against u total expenditure for the
, preceding year of SI5S OS3. ~, or an average
cost per patient Of Sl.Ol per day.
The increased receipts and diminished ex-
i pcnditurcs for the last fiscal year, Us com
pared with tho year next preceding show a
/ net gain To the Government Of SIS, Sl3Sl.
During the came period the number Of dis.
tricts in which relief was furnished was greater
, than ever before, aud the salaries Of medical
officers at several Of the principal ports were
, increased.
The financial improvement shown is due
largely 10 more careful scrutiny of the up.
plicants for relief, 10 the rejection Of those
who were not entitled under the law, und also
10 greater vigilance In collecting the hospital
dues.
The law limits tho charge for relief Ia sea.
mcu belonging to foreign vessels to seventy.
a ia VIII lao, Il.
nearly one dollar Authority should DO given
to the Secretary Of the Treasury to fix the
charge within certain limits according to the
expenses incurred at the hospitals where NJ.
! lief Is furnished.
| renew the recommendation heretofore
made for the erection of pavilion hospitals al
New York, San Francisco and Pittsburg
, The Increase Of railway and general business
In the vicinity Of the hospital at Pittsburg ha,
rendered IL unfit for further use.
. The supervising surgeon recommends the
: erection In future Of pavilion hospitals OF
wood, with the understanding that after ter
or fifteen years use they are to be destroyed
and new ones built In their stead. Thi,
? recommendation appears to be wise, being al
: ONCE economical for tho Government and ad
vRntageous TO the patients.
The act Of February ~, 1871, to provide fol
: the better security Of life OF board-vessoli
Z propelled In whole or In part BY steam, hal
not been In operation sufficient time to tes
its value In all respects but the result in thu
: main Is satisfactory. The Supervising In
+ spectOr General In his annual reports, recon
mCuds several alterations In the law not af
tccting Its character materially. A hill will
4 be prepared providing for such alterations Us
= upon further consideration, shall seem OK
pcdlCnt.
= On the 10th day Of May, 1877, Transmitted
= to Congress q hill entitled "a bill To ament
and consolidate the navigation and custom
~ nff ba fftf nj
! with q communication explaining the charuc
ter and purpose Of the measure. lex. Doc
: 800, 42d Cong, 2l Sess.) | respectfully asl
the attention Of Congress to the bill and tn
{ reasons for Its passage.
The time has come when the attention q
! the public Is turned naturally to the futur
. financial policy of the country. That polio,
u must rest upon the past and the present.
The war caused three great changes In bust
! ness and financial affairs that have received
the careful consideration Of the American
people.
: /. The country was compelled to impos
e heavy customs duties upon merchandise, ant
i thus, without general observation and withOu
argument upon the principles involved, tn
: nation entered upon broad system Of pro
l. lection.
o =. The Government issued Treasury note
u for general circulation as currency, and pro
y hihltcd banks Of issue by State authority.
u 3. system Of national banks was estab
= lislcd, and their circulation protected by thu
r national credit.
!. The wisdom Of these measures, speakln!
c generally, has been established aud, sub
u jcct to such changes as the changing cOndi
: tiOn and opinions Of the country and people
4 may demand, they will remain part Of Oul
y public policy until the financial consequence,
Z Of the war disappear. The weight Of the ma
c tlonal debt has been so great that for NOR
7 than ten years there has been no Opportunit,
| ln q rtt
C protection and free trade, and In that lOnl
r period Of an unchanged protective policy In
: cidcnt to the burdens OF the war the na.iUT
4 has advanced rapidly and safely in the deye
7 Opment Of Its natural resources.
Anticipating condition Of peace, we may
y also anticipate general reduction IN the per,
: ccntagU Of customs duties. This reduction
I however should not be measured solely by
l the wants of the Treasury; but regard should
1 BE- had also to the condition Of the various
D branches Of Industry In which the people arc
+ engaged. In presence Of the fact that the
{ leading pursuits Of the country are stronger
! than ever before in the POSSESSION OF adequate
c capital and supply Of Intelligent lRbOrers,
= there may he Il mod, rate reduction from time
TO time In the rate 81 duties, Us the diminish
: Ing expenses OF the Government shall permit,
without either alarming capital or injuring
, labor.
. For the purposes Of government, the prin-
|
: not cosmopolitan. nation that can produce
a given article at less than Ii can be produced
elsewhere may wisely accept free trade In 1t /;
. but nation having natural advantages for its
|, production, yet destitute Of skill In the nc-
dent art or trade, must wait for the OppOr-
u tunlty that sometimes comes from the calaml-
- ~ OF war, or secure more economical and
more constant support In the policy of its
! government. II average natural facilities ex-
lst tue period OF necessary protection Is u
short one compared with the lifetime Of a ma
tloni while the advantages gained can never
? be wholly lost. But II reasonable natural
facilities do not exist, then system Of duties
! for protection Is present and future burden
d without adequate compensation. So varied
d and rich, however, are the natural resources
Z OF tho United States, that we either are or
may soon be In successful competition with
! the older and more experienced countries Of
the world In the production Of the chief arti-
Giles OF personal necessity, comfort and luxury,
and OF the machinery by which these articles
are produced Or obtained
Herein is a sufficient Justification for the
existing protective system, and for It's con-
| tlUuunpp uuTiuU the Trnnattinn UnrinI