The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-11-27

!: :: It'll III G+ss II ;
+ =,
pxrtment would recammend = revision and
codincsuon Of the tsrln laws and tho opening
OF moro nlnts for coining money with authority
to coin for such nations Is may apply.
SHOULD he IN Yi4Hrrsa TRIM.
The attention Of Congress 10 invited to a 70.
commentator In the report Of the Secretary Of
War herewith accompanying The apparent
great cost OF supporting the academy IL fully
explained In the report. 1t will receive Your
attention. While inviting your great attention
TO all tho recommendations made by the Secre.
tsry OF War there are two which would espec-
tally invite You to consider. First, the import
xRce Of preparing for war IN time Of peace by
providing for proper armament Tor our sea coast
defense. A proper armament Ia OF vastly moro
importance than foruacations. Tho latter can
be supplied very speedily for temporary pur-
poses when needed. The former cannot. Tho
second IL the necessity OF re-opening promo
ton In the staff corps Of tho army. Particu
!arly is this necessity felt In the medical, ny
and ordnance departments. At ibis time It 10
necessary to employ contract surgeons to sup
ply the necessary medical attention required
for the army. With the present force of
the pay department 1t 10 now dif1cult to mako
the payments to troops provided for bylaw
Long delay In payments are productive of de-
sertions and generalization and the law
prohibits payment Of troops by other than reg
ulsr army paymasters. There are now Is va
csncies in the ordnance department, thus leav.
ing that branch Of the service without
sufficient officers to conduct the business OF the
different arsonals on largo scale II ever re-.
quired.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT..
During the past year our navy has been re-
ducsd by the sale Of some vessels no longer 1T
for naval purposes, and BY the rsmodeling of
others not yet disposed OF. This. however,
has been moro than compensated By the
repair Of six Of tho old wooden ships,
and by the building Of eight now
sloops Of war authorized by the last Congress.
The building of theee latter has occurred at. q
doubly fortunate time: They arc about being
completed. when they will probably DO much
needed, and the work upon them has not only
given employment to thousands Of men, but
has NO doubt been tho means of keeping open
establishments OF other works at q time of
great financial distress.
Since the commencement Of last month how
ever, the distressing occurrences which have
taken place In the waters Of the caribbean sea
along our very sea board, while they illustrat
most forcibly tho necessity always existing
that nation situated as ours should maintain
In state Of efficiency q navy adequate to ito
that all the effective forces we really have shall
DO put into imme diate readiness fo< warlike
/ service. This has been aud b being done
promptly and effectively, and am assured that
the available ships and every authorized man
Of the American navy will be ready for what
ever action ia required for the safety of our
cities or the maintenance Of our
| honor. This Will render necessary the
expenditure In . short time OF some Of the ap-
preparations which were calculated to extend
| through the fiscal year.. But Congress will, Il
doubt not, understand and appreciate the
| emergency and will provide adequately, not
only for the present preparation, but tor tho
future maintenance Of oar naval forces. The
Secretary Of tho Navy has during the past
year been quietly lputting some Of our meet e.
tensivo monitors In condition for servteS, and
| thus the exigency fndg us in much better con-
dition for work than We could possibly have
been without this action.
:. OUR NAIL BAGS.
A complete exhibit Is presented In the &C.
companying report Of the Postmaster General
l OF tho operations OF the PostofRce Department
| during the year. Tho ordinary postal revenues
for the nseal year ending Juno 80. 1878, amount
! ed TO- So 900, 747.s7, aud the expenditures Of
/ all kinds TO tss.eS4. 945:87.' The increase of
revenue over 1879 was 81 ,Os1 $3.50; ana. the
! increase o. expenditures Ss48 b73.se. and. the
interest Of payments made from special appro.
prfattons fdr mail stea pship lines The amount
l. drawn from the general treasury to meet den-
cienoics was e5s, $50. TOO. Tho constant extern
| :sion Of our POSTAL service, particularly upon
railroads, and the improved facilities for the
collection, transmission, distribution and de-
Livery of mails which arc being provided,
account for the = Increased :. expenditures of
this popular branch of the public
| service. The total number Of postofices In
t9eration June Sd, 1884,, was ss,a4a, net In
crease Of 1881 over the number reported the
preceding year.. The humber Of post routes
was 1858, an increase Of, 1853 during the year.
The total length OF railroad mail routes at the
close Of the year was 81, $50 miles, an increase
! OF S,s4s miles over the year 1879. Fihy-1he
rail mail post lines were in operation June 30,
1873. extending over 1896 miles Of railroad
routes, and performing IN aggregate service OF
8,4s5 miles daily. Tho number Of letters ex-
changed with foreign countries was 1859, 1856:
an increase of 3,016,6e5 over the pre-
vicus year, and the postage thereon
was 320, 312, 310.86; and the total
weight Of correspondence exchanged with Raro.
pean countries exceeded 91S tons, an increase
OF % tons over the previous year. Total cost
of United States mail service, Including $685.
600 paid from special appropriation to subsidiz-
ed lines Of mail steamers, was $1O4, 729,195.
New or additional postal conventions have
been established with Sweden, Norway, Bel
,gish, Germany, Canada. Newfoundland and
Japan, for reducing postage rates on cores
pondencS whore exchanged with these couatriee,
and further efforts have been made to conclude
satisfactory postal conventions with France,
but without success.
invite the favorable consideration OF Con-
gress to the recommendation of the Postmaster
General for free deliveries ia all cities having q
population Of not less that 10000; for the pre-
payment of postage Of newspapers and other
printed matter Of the second class; for uni.
form postage on miscellaneous matter, and fix.
ing the compensation Of all postmasters ap-