The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-12-12

| Now, every lsborer there receives his wages and
for want of savings banks the greater part of such
wages IL carried in the pocket hoafded till
| CURED for use. These suggestions are
thrown out for your consideration, without
any Recommendation that they shall be adopted
literally, but hoping that the best method NAV be
arrived at to secure such elasticity Of the cur
rency as will keep employed all the industries of the
country, and prevent such imitation as will put
of indefinitely the resumption Of specie payment
an object devouly to lie wished for Ivy all aud hy
none more earnestly than the class Of people most
directly inerestcd--thnse who their bread by
the sweat Of the brow. The d. cision of Congress
on this sGbect viii have the hearty support of the
Executive.
IN previous messages I have called attention to
the decline in American ship-building. recon-
mend such legislation wOuld secure TO thc United
States our portion Of the carving trade Stimulated
by higher rates and the abundance Of freight the
progress for the las. year in sp-huillirg has been
very satisfactory. There has been an increase of
about 3 per cent. in the amount Transported
in American vessels over the amonnt of
last year. with the reduced cost Of material
which has taken place, it may reasonably he hoped
that this change will be maintained and even III
creased. However, as we ray about sSa.o0) coo Per
annu to foreign vessels for the transportation Of
our surplus products to market, Tins in-reased
the balance of trade is against us TO this uncunt.
The subject is one worthy of your sercus consider
alton. Cheap transportation is snhjcct that has
attracted the attention Of both producers and con-
suin:rs for the past few years. and has contributed
TO- II il has not been the direct cause Of the recent
panic and sringency. As Congress, at its ast
sipn, appointed special committee to investigate
this whole subjec. during the vacation and report
at this session, have nothing to recommend until
their report is ready
There is one work, however. of a national char
acter, i'll which the greater portion of The East and
the Wet, the North AID the South, equally ill.,
terested, TO which will invite your attention. The
State Of New York has canal connecting Lake
Erie with tide-water the Hudson river
The State Of Illinois has a similar one con-
Meeting Lake Michigan with the naviGa!le
waters on the Illinois river, thus making water
l.Nfvaf Nss 4 la.,-.
West and the South Those great artificial water
courses are the property Of the States through
which they pass and lay toll to those States. Would
il not be vi stacsiaEship 20 pledge these States
that If they will opeu these canals fuE the ia sage If
large vessels, lie Government Will look after altl
keep in navigabie condition tie great pubic high
ways with which they connect, ."-Sit: Tire over
slough on the Hudson, the ST. Clair flats end the
Illinois and Mississippi rivers? This would be L
national work, and one Of great yauc 10 the pro-
dlcerE Of the West and South, in giving them cheap
tran pprtatiur for their produce 10 the soaboart
ard market - the in the Eat, in CIV
ing them cheaper food, particularly Of those articles
of food which do not fnd foreign market. and
the prices Of which, therefore, are not regulated
By foreign demand. The advantages Of such work |
are too obvious for argument. / submit the sub |
l"ct 90 you, therefore, without further Comment.
In further cOnacr:ion with the Treasury Depart |
meit, wonld recommend revision and coditca- !
ton Of the tariff laws and the opening NJ more |
miGts for coming money with authority to coin Tor
such nations may apply.
TIE attention Of CongruFs IL invited To- the rec !
oliEfEdat;oNh OF the secretary of War herewith
comIanyng. The apparent great cost Of support |
ing the Academy ia fully explained in the report
and it Will receive your attention. While inviting
Your attention to all the recommendations Had- by |
the Secretary ufHAr, there two wh!cl, | wuud I
especially invite You to consider: First, the i'm
pprtarre OF preparing for war IN time Of Ieace by
providing for proper armament for onr sra-coa-' |
dslcnsss. Proper armament u Of vastly more Ill-
purtancc than fnrtiiiCations. The latter be SUP
pI"l very speedily FOR temporary purposes "hen I
needed the fu-IUcr cannot. The second is the !
NJ iBt "a no
"f the army. Particularly Is this ncCe-sity felt IN
the medical. pay aud ordnance departments. At this
time II IL necessary TO- employ by contract surgeons
70 supply the necessary ru,dcal attention required
by tae army. M!lh tho p-fsrp. force pf the Pay !.
Department, II ia now difficult to make the pay !
mcnts TO troops provided for by law. Long delays /
in payments productive of dcsertiOus and de- /
mOrAlisation. and the law prohibits the payment Of
troops by other than regular army rgyula-trrs. |
There are sixteen vacancies IN the Ordnance |
department; thus leaving that branch of the
without sufficient officers to cuaduct the business #
the different srseneiN on i large scale, If ever re-
quir"l.
During the past year our navy has been reduced ,
10y the sale If vessels longer III for naval /
purpose, and by the condemnation of others not .
yet Iii posed uf. 1ais, however ha1 b lHure than /
conpeG Gsated FOR by the Tspa,r of six Of the old ,
wooden ships, and by the building Of eight rev /
slaor,-.f-war authorized 10y the last Congress. Tie
building Of these LATER has occurred III duub'y /
fortunate time. They are about being completed, |
whyn ihry will possibly be much nertied /
and tine work upon them las not only given |
doubt, has been the of keel ping /
open establishments Of other works al time Of I
Rroa: financial Distress Since the commencement !
OF last month. however, the dstrc-sing occurrences
which have taken place ill tue waters OF the CarIh
bean rea along oar very scaboard, aAe they iilus-
trate most fOrc:hly the necessity always existing /
that Z nation situated our, should maintain a
state of efficiency navy adequate 10 its RESPONSE
bi!ities, has al the time demanded la: all The
effective force We really have shall be put i'll in
mediate readiness for warlike service. This has |
bccu and r. being done promptly and effectively. /
and am assured that all the available fh.Is and I
every authorized man Of the American navy Will be-
ready FOR whatever action is required for the safety
of cites or the maintenance Of our honor. /
TuF, Of course, will cause the expenditure Of
Of the appropriations which Were calculated to tx
tend through the fiscal year; brt Congress viii, |
dua5t not understand and APPRECIATE the eruer- |
gency, and viii provide adequately, not only /
for the present preparation but fur The !
The Secretary oi tLe Navy has, during the past year,
been quietly putting some Of our iu0st extensive /
monitors in condition for service and thus the eSi-
gency finds in 4 much better condition fer war |
tEan we could possibly have been without h.s ac-
ton.
complete exhibit is presented in the accompa-
Iying report Of the p sinast rCrneral Of the upc-
raiions of the Pcstoiiice Department daring the /
year.
The ordinary postal revenues for the fiscal year
ending June 20, 1878. amounted to 2299G, ,47l.s7,
and the expenditures ct all kinds to gOsA 34j67.
Tie increase uf revenues over 1872 was Sl,OSl : /
$3.50 aud the increase IN expenditures, S2i G5I.-
$780, Independent of the payments made from
special appropriations for mail steamship lines the
amount drawn from the general Treasury to me5t !
Deficiencies was 2,654, 700. The constant aul /
rapid extension Of oar poata farrice, Particularly
up railwGya, and the improved facilities for the
collection, transmission, distribution and
delivery of the mali, mall, which, which are
the increased expenditures of this pop
ular branch of the public service. The total !
number OF postofiiccs in operation Oh the 30th of |
June, 1873 was 80 24i, net Increase Of I,cSl
the number reported the preceding year.
The total len.th of railroad mail routes at the |
close of the year GJ,iJ7, an increase of J,546 !
miles over the year 1872. Fiftynine railway post
Office lines in operation on the Both CT June,
1873 extending Il s66 mics % railroad routes,
and performing aggregate service OF 3i,9!3 niles
daily.
The number Of letters exchanged with foreign |
countries was 27,459,iS5, increase Of 3,U9G,Gs5
OVER the previous year, aid the postage thereon |
amounted 10 $aGsi $40 Ss and tire total weight of
correspuu,lcncc exchanged in mails with European |
count les exceeded 9i2 tony, an increase Of 81 |
tons over the previous year. The total cost uf |
the United States ocean mail steamship service, |
including S753000 paid from special appropriG- |
ticus to subsidized Ines of mail steamers
was sl0i ~, ,l3j. New or additional postal |
conventions have been concluded with Sweden, |
Norway Belgium, Germany, Canada, Newfound- |
land and il" "an, reducing postage rates ON corre
spondcnce exchanged with those countries, and |
further efforts have been made :" conclude salts
factory POSTAL convention with France bat without
success.
invite the favorable consideration of Congress !
to the suggestiOIIs and recommendations of the |
PostmAster-Genera for an extension of the freeds
livery system in all cities having population of not
less than 10 900; for the prepayment Of IosaSe ON
newspapers and other printed matter Of the second
class for u uniform postage and limit of weight on
miscellaneous matter; for adjusting the cnnpensa-
tion &c all pustua scrs appointed by the President
by the old rroihod Of commissions on the actual re-
ceipts Of the Office instead Of the present mode OF
fixing tie salary in advance upoh special returns
and espe,is!y do urge favorable action by Con
gress on the important recomn enda'ion OF the
Postrnaster-GeneTa fr she establishment Of United
States postal savings repositories.
Ycur attention is also again caled TO cons,dera