The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-12-12

force of the pay department il is now
difficult to make the payments to troops
provided for by law. Long delays in
payments are productive of desertion
and other decentralization, and the law
prohibits the payment of troops by other
than regular army paymasters. There
are now sixteen vacancies in the ord
nance department, thus leaving that
branch of the service without sufficient
officers to conduct the business of the
different arsenals on large scale, If ever
required.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
During the past year our navy has
been depleted by the sale of some ves-
sells no longer fit for naval service, and
by the condemnation of others not vet
disposed of. This, however, has been
more than compensated for by the re-
pair of six of the old wooden ships,
and by the building of eight new sloops
of war authorized by the last Congress.
The building of these latter has occur
red at a doubly fortunate time. They
are now being completed at time when
they may possibly be much needed, and
the work upon them has not ctly given
direct employment TO thousands of men,
but has no doubt been the means of
keeping open establishments for other
work at time of great financial distress.
Since the commencement of the last
month, however, the distressing occur
rences which have taken place on the
waters of the caribbean Sea, almost on
our very seaboard, while they illustate
most forcibly the necessity always exist
ing that a nation situated like ours
should maintain in a state of positive
efficiency a navy adequate to its respon-
sibility, has at the same time demanded
that all the effective force We really have
shall be put in immediate readiness for
warlike service. This has been and is
being done promptly and effectively,
and | am assured that all the available
ships and every authorized man of the
American navy will be ready for what
ever action is required for the safety of
our citizens or the maintenance of our
honor. This, of course, will require
the expenditure in a short time of some
of the appropriations which were calcu-
lated to extend through the fiscal year,
but Congress will, / doubt not, under
stand and appreciate the emergency, and
will provide adequately not only for the
present preparation, but for the future
maintenance of our naval force. The
Secretary of the Navy has during the
past year been quietly putting some of
our most effective monitors in condition
for service, and thus the exigency finds
us in mnch better condition for work
than we could possibly have been with
out his action.
POsT-oFFICE DEPARTMENT.
A complete exhibit is presented in the
accompanying report of the Post Master
General of the operations of the Post
office Department during the year. The
ordinary postal revenues for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1873, amounted to
$22, 1896, ,741 G7, and the expenditures of
all kinds to S29,054,945 81. The in
crease of revenues over 1872 was 81 ,O8I,-
3l5, 20, and the increase of expenditures
81, ,426,753 36. Independent of the pay
ments made from special appropriations
/ fI1rr at, IL, Al A
drawn from the general treasury to meet
deficiencies was S5,265,475. The con-
slant and rapid extension of our postal
service, particularly upon railways, and
the improved facilities for the collection,
Transmission, distribution and delivery
of the mails, which are constantly be-
ing provided, account for the increased
expenditures of this popular branch Of
| the public service. The total number
of post-offices in operation on the 3Oth
of June, 1873, was 3,244, a net increase
of 1881 over the number reported the
preceding year. The number of Presi-
DENTAL offices was 1853, an increase OF
163 during the year. The total length
of railroad mail routes at the close oi
the year was 63, ,457 miles, an increase Of
5,546 miles over the year 1872. Fifty.
nine railway post-offiee lines were in op-
Grafton on the Both of June, 1873, ex
tending over 1866 miles of railroad
routes, and performing an aggregate ser
vice of "a, OPS miles daily. The mum
Der of letters exchanged with foreign
countries wac 7,459, 185; an increase O
$685. ,685 over the previous year, and the
postage thereon amounted to $2,02I,
80 sc. The total weight of correspon
dence exchanged in the mails with
European countries exceeded 912 tons
an increase of 92 tons over the previous
year. The total cost of the United
States ocean mail steamship service, in
Guiding $725, 900 paid from special ap
preparations to subsidized lines of mai
steamers, was 81 ,O47, ,271 35. New ant
additional postal conventions have beer
concluded with Sweden, Norway, Bel
gium, Germany, Canada, New Foundlan'
: and Japan, reducing the postal rates OF
correspondence exchanged with thes
: countries, and further efforts have beel
made to conclude satisfactory posta
, convention with France, but with0u
success. invite the favorable consid
5 Grafton of Congress to the suggestion
and recommendations of the Postmaster
General for an extension of the free de
: livery system in all cities having pop
: ulation of not less than 10000; for tn
prepayment of postage on newspaper
: and other printed matter of the secon
class; for uniform postage and limit {
weight on miscellaneous matter; for ad
r justing the compensatiez of all pos
D masters not appointed by the PresidAn
by the old method of commissions o
the actual receipts of the Office, instea
d Of the present mode of paying big sa
e AIRY in advance upon special return
h and especially do l urge favorable AZ
IT ton by Congress ON the important res