The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-06

recommendation of the Secretary of War
herewith accompanying The apparent
great cost of supporting the Academy iStui-
" explained IN the report, and 1t WILL re
ceiye your attention. While inviting your
attention to all the recommendations made
by the Secretary of War, there are two /
would especially invite you to consider
First, the importance Of preparing for war
in time of peace by providing for proper ar
mament for our sea-coast detenses. Proper
armament is of vastly more Importance
than Notifications The latter can be sup
piled very speedily for temporary purposes
when needed; the former cannot. The sec.
ond is the necessity Of re-opening promotion
in the staff corps Of the army. Particularly
is this necessity felt in the medical, pay and
ordnance departments AT this time ii L.
necessary to employ, by contract, surgeons
to supply the necessary medical attention
required by the army. With the present
force of the Pay Department, 1t Is now DIM
cult to make the payments to troops proyl"-
ed for by law. Long delays in payments are
productive of desertions and decentralization,
and the law prohibits the payment Of troops
by other than the regular army paymasterS.
There are now sixteen vacancies in the Ora
nance Department, thus leaving thai
branch OF the service without sufficient otti-
GERS 10 COHuuCl lilc DuSlHCSS Ol inc VllItltlA'
arscnals on large scale if it is ever re-
Quired.
During the past year our navy has been
reduced by The sale of some vessels no lon
ger tit for naval purposes, and by the con
domination Of others not yet disposed OF.
This, however, has been more than COmpen-
stated for by the repair of six Of the OLD
wooden ships, and by the building of eight
new sloopsof-war, authorized by the last
Congress. The building Of these latter has
occurred at doubly fortunate time. They
are about being completed, when they will
possibly be much needed, and the work up
on them has not only given employment to
thousands of men, but, no doubt, has been
the means Of keeping open establishments
of other works at II time OF great financial
distress Since the commencement OF last
month, however the distressing occurrences
which have taken place in the Caribbean
sea. along our very scaboard, while they il
lustrate most forcibly the necessity always
existing, that nation situated as ours
should maintain, in a state Of efficiency,
navy adequate to its responsibilities, mas At
the same time demanded that all the cilec-
tive force we really have shall be put IN I'M
mediate readiness for Warllkc service. inns
has been and is being done promptly anu
effectively, and | am assured that all the
available ships, and every authorized man
of the American navy, will be ready for
whatever action is required for the safety OF
our honor. This, OF course, Will cause thc
expenditure of some of the appropriations
which were calculated to extend through
the fiscal year; but Congress WILL doubt
not, understand and appreciate the cmer-
rency, and will provide adequately, not
only for the present preparation, but for the
into n naval force he
Secretary of the Navy has during the past
year, been quietly putting some OF our most
extensive monitors in condition for service,
and thus the cXigcncy finds us in much
better condition for war than we could posi-
bly have been without his action.
A complete exhibit IS presented in the az
companving report of the Postmaster Gen
eral of the operations Of the Post Office
Department during the year
The ordinary postal revenues for the IFS
cal year ending June 80, 1913, amounted To
$22 1896, al 81, and the expenditures OF all
kinds to $29,0S40ij.67. The increase OF
revenue over IS y was $1,OSl,3l52O, and the
increase of expenditures, S2,465, 1880. In
dependent Of the payments made from spec
lal appropriations for mail steamship lines,
the amount drawn from the general treas
urv to meet Deficiencies was $4,000, 400.
The constant and rapid extension OF our
postal service, particularly upoa railways,
and the improved facilities for the colleC-
ton. transmission, distribution and delivery
of the mails, which are constantly being
provided, account for the increased eXpen-
ditures of this popular branch of the public
service. The total number of post offices in
operation on the Both of June, 1878, was 80
PA, net increase of 1881 over the number
reported the preceding year The number
of postal order offices was 1863 an increase
of 1853 during the year
The total length of railroad mail routes at
the close of the year was G3,451, an increase
of 5,546 miles over the year 1872. Fittynlne
railway post Office lines were in operation
on the 3Oth of June, 1878, extending over
1896 miles of railroad routes, and per
forming an aggregate service Of 1929 miles
daily.
The number Of letters exchanged with
foreign countries was 21459, 1876, an increase
of 3,096,6sj over the previous year, ana me
postage thereon amounted 10 S2,O2l3lOSb,
and the total weight Of correspondence en-
changed in mails with European countries
exceeded 912 tons, an increase of 93 tonSOV-
er the previous year. The total cost OF the
United States ocean mail steamship service,
including S135 900 paid from special appro-
priatiOns to subsidized lines OF mail steam
crs, was $1,047, 27135. New or additional
postal conventions have been conciuueo.
with Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Germany,
Canada, Newfoundland and Japan, reduc-
ing postage rates on correspondence 0N-
changed with those countries, and further .
efforts have been made to conclude salts
factory postal convention with France, but
without success.
invite the favorable consideration Of
Congress to the suggestions and rccommen-
,lations of the Postmaster General for an cA.
tension of the frce-delivcry system in all
cities having population of not less than
10000; for the prepayment of postage or
and other printed matter Oh inc
second class; for uniform postage and
limit of weight on miscellaneous mater
for adjusting the compensation OF all pos
masters appointed by the President by 'he
old method of commissions on the actual re
ceipts of the office instead of the preseh.
mode of fixing the salary IN advance upo"
special returns; and especially 90 / ursH
favorable action by COnwrC>~ on iiic illpoI.