Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-12-11
TnE NAvAL DEFAErMENY.


ol During the past year the navy has
Deen reduced hy the sale Of some YES
,selSsno longer fit for naval purposes,
and shy 6lie Recommendation Of others
not yet disposed Of This however,
Iias been than compensated for
hy the repair OF six Of tIie old wooden
ships, and by the building Of eight new
slOODs of war, authorized by the last
Congress-. The building of these lat
ter Mas occurred at a dOubly fortunate
time. They are about being completed,
when they will possibly be much need
%. aad EAe work upOn them has not
only fEeu employment to thousands Of
men, ysb9ls has, Ao6lodIl3t, been the means
of keeptng open establishments for
other works Rta time of great fnau-
eial dissPess. "o.
sSinee the commencement of last
TSOaath, however, the Distressing ocoHf
rehces which have taken place i'll the
waters OF Caribbean Sea, almost on our
saGgty aseabOattl, while they illustrate
:1nos8 4oxeibly The necessity always ex
s-ziia1ings 4hnt q nation situated as ours
should maintain in a state of efficiency
. navyrBdeQuate to its responsibility,
has1at. the same time demanded that
,ait tlle saifectiye force we really have
shall be put in immediate readiness for
warlize service. This has been and IS
being done promptly and effectively,
ana 1'Sin5 assured that oil the availa
BILE ships, and every authorized man of
the AulsEivaIJ navy, will be ready for
WhAte9eFi ,setton; is required for the
safety or 0ilr cities or the maintenance
OEOur hQn5F This ofconrs will ren
der hciexPendit for a short time of
aOme of the appropriations which were
calculated tofextend through the fiscal
years but Congress will. doubt not,
understand and appreciate the emer
geTcy, and will provide adequately, not
Only8for the present preparation. but
for the future maintenance of our naval
fopeea The Secretary of the Navy has
during the past year been quietly put
ting sonic OF, Onr most extensive mOni
tors in e0nditien for service, and thus
the exigency finds us in a much better
cOnditioh;for work than we could pos
sbly have been without his action.
G. d PosEoFFFcE DEPARTMENT.
Acomplete exhibit is presented in
the-aceof1panying report of the Post
masterI General of Interpretations of the
POstoflce Department during the year.
The ordiflafy postal revenues for the
Gsesl year. ended June Both, 1878,
aRSUntss ttos s p. .996, TAI 81, and the
expenditdre Of all Kinds to S29, 1854.
945s67. JEBa,I1crease ip revenues in
1879 owassS E,oSl,3f5 90, and the in,
Rredse iRexPeDditures 50, 49,, ,733. In
dependent Of the pay ments made from
special appropriations for mail steam :
ship lines, the amount drawn from the
general Treasury to meet deficiencies
was, 81, ,g65, ,575.
The con staHt-and, rapid extension OF
our postal service, particularly npon
railways, and the improved facilities
for t3encalIeetion, transmission, distri-
button, aad delivery OF mails which are
cOnstantly being provided, account for
the Observation-Disclosures OF this pop
ulaF braacif9of bHblic service. The to
tai n1mbets4oF Rostottlces in operation
on the y3Utht Or June 1873, was 33, PA,
a net increase of 1881 over the nun
Der reported the preceding year. The
number of presidential appointments
was 1853, an ;inerease of 263 during
the year Total length of abroad mail
routes at the'cI5se of the year was g.
B45,TTO 9R<iHcEaase Of 55,466 miles