Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-12-09


have In producing q scarcity Of coin with which
to paw duties on imports, to give IL my positive
recommendation, but your attention Is invited 10
the subject.
TIE AMOUNT OF CONTRACTION.
During the past four years the currency hss
hccn contracted directly by the withdrawal Of the
three per cent. certificates. tie compound interest
notes and 7.JO bonds outstanding on the ith OF
March lsg, all Of which took the place OF legal
tenders in the bank reserves 10 the extent OF eos
! go go. During the same period there mas beeh
much larger comparative contraction OF the cur
rcncy. The population OF the country has ihrse
/ ly incrcas scd. More than 1880 miles of railroad
have been built, rcqui ing the active use oi capital
/ io operate them. millions OF acres oi land nave
/ been opened 10 cultivation, requiring capltal 90
| r,no, 4 the products; manufactures have multi
/ plict beyond al precedent IN the same pefioh OF
/ lime requiring capital weekly for the payment oi
wages and for purchase OF material; and probh
I bly, the Target OF all comparative contraction
arises from the organizing oI iree laDor w Illc
south. Now every labOrer thus receives hi,
wages and for want OF savings banks, the greater
/ part of suca wages Is carried IN the POCKET OF
J hoaulcd I'LL required for use.
These suggestions are thrown ont Tor your con
! sidleTatiOn without any Recommendation thai they
! shall be adopted literally; but hoping That The
best method may be arrived al To secure sucn an
! elasticity Of the currency rs will keep employed
al the industries OF the country aud prevent such
an imitation will put on indefinitely the resump-
I tou of specie paymcnts-an object 80 dcNouuy 10
/ bc wished for by all, and 10y none more earnehtN
than the class OF people most directly Interested,
those who earn there bread by the sweat Of their
bruw. The decisions OF Congress ON ths subject
will have the hearty support o. the EXECUTIVE
AMERICAN COMMERCE
In prcVieu, messages, have called attention
10 the decline in American ship building. and
/ recommended such legislation as would secure
to rs our propoi tion OF the carrying trade. stun
ulatcd by high rates and an abundance of freight,
the progress for the last year In hip building has
been very satisfactory. There has been an IN
crease oi about per cent. IN the amount trans.
ported IN American vessels over the amount "i
last year. With the reduced COst ul material
which has taken place, II may reasonably ne mop
ed that this progress will bc maintained aud even
Increased. However, rs we pay about ssODoluV
per auuum to- foreign vessels for the Transports
lion OF our -urpu. prOdacts 10 market, thus M
crcasng the balance of trade against Us to this
amount, the subject l. one worthy OF your serious
. consideration.
rIIs rRASsPoRrATIoN PROBLEM
"Chcap tran spOrtatiOns" l. 4 subject that has at
tractcd aitcntiun OF both producers aud consum.
crs and has contributed toll it has not been tie
direct cause "i the recent panic AMI stUngency.
A. Congress at IT. ltst session appointed special
. committee to investigate this whole subject dur'
Iug vacation aud report at this session, nave
nothing 90 recommend iiil tins report ls read
There is one work. however, OF national
character in which the greater portion OF The
Ea-t and West, the North and south are equally
Interested, 10 which VIII invite yOnr attention
.tit state uf New York has a canal connecting
Lake Erie with tidc water uu The Hudson river,
and the state OF Illinois has similar work con
Meeting Lake Michigan with navigabe water on
/ the Illinois river, tins making a water commuhi'
cation inland between the tast aHd the Wet
and the south These great artificial water
courses are the property of the Statts through
which they pass, and pay toll 10 those states
Would it not Ice wise statrman,hip 10 pledge
these >tatcs, that II they vii open these canals
!ur the a-~age of large vessels, the general gov
/ eminent viii look alter and Keep 10 na'lshhIc
condition the grent public highways win "hch
they connect, To wit.-Ihc oNcTrlauBh on the
+ liudson, the II. Clair Hats and the Illinois aud
Mi~slssippl riYcr-.
/ Thiz would be- . nat onal work, one Of great
. value To the producers Of the west and south, IN
. ewing tirm cheap transportation for tnrir plO-
uucts 10 tue sca.boaTd aud 4 market, AMI To She
. consumers in the caht, ~ gitinS lhcn cheaper
I food particularly those art, H., oi food which
,u not ind foreign market, and the prices of
which therefore, arc not regulated 10y Foreign &c
uan,l- IN advantages oi such work are too
+ obvious for argument submit the subject to
,uI, thrrriurv, without further comment.
EXrLpRATIJN N SOUTH AMERICA.
. % attempting 10 regain our lot commerce aud
. carving trade | have heretofore. called your At
trniiou i0 the states south Of the United states,
Offering field where mu II might be accomplish
ed tu further tlii- object suggest thai snllii
+ appropriation be made. accompanied WIN
authority ior Ihc secretary oi the Navy Ia nt ont
/ ., utNai vessel to ascend the Amazon river TO The
I mouth 90 tie Madeira. thence t. rNpi"re that
Ityci and it, trlhutsTics, into Bolivia, lnd 10 re-
u.t Co Congrcs, At the next session. cor q, o"n "a,
/ .laetic,blc, th. Accessibility of the country by
/ such an exploration will cost but litle u can dn
np harm and may rcsul. IN c,ttbii-h.nS trade I"
J both nations.
REVISION uF TNRIFF LAWS, ErC.
/ In further connection with the treasury depart
/ mruf. Wpuld recommend q IcNi-i" ani cJdihrA-
/ iiuu Ol the tarh laws aud the opening OF more
mint, tor coming money, with authority ~ coin
! for -uch Institutions II may apply
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The attcaiion of Congress Is invited To the
/ recommendations contained ia the report OF the
. secretary of War, herewith accompanying The
apparent great cost Of supporting the army b.
iu!!y explained by thi- report and hope viii re-
I rcNc your attention.
hi.c inviting Your attention 10 All the recon
iut1J,iatluu- made ny the Secretary 81 War, thar,
arF Two which Wouid specially Vite you To con
cider tIr-t, the Importance OF preparin. Tor war
/ iu times Ot peace 10y providing proper armament
/ for our -raCOa-t deicnces. Proper armament ls
! of yistly more Importance than iprtihcalions.-
The latter Gan be supplied very spccdily Tor TEN
poraTy purpose when needed The former cannot.
The second Is The necessity OF reopenlng promo
/ lion iu The stafT corps of the army. Particularly
T. llii- necessity iclt IN the medical, pay hnd
ordnance departments. At his time II u neces
/ -3,ll to employ contract surgeons 10 supply the
! necessary medical attendance required 10y the
/ army. With The present force uf the pay depart
/ mem IL y now difficult tO make the payments 10
| troops provided for by law. Long delays In pay
I mcnt- are productive OF desertious and other
Generalization, and the Law prohibits payment oi
/ troops by other than regular army paymasters -
I There are now sixteen vacancies ia the ordnance
! department, thus leaving that branch ol the ser
/ vice without sufficient officers 10 conduct the
business of the different arsenals on large scale
] u ever required.
NAvY DEPARTMENT
During the past year our navy has been dePle
/ ted by the sale of some vessels no longer lit for
/ uavHl service and by the condemnation of Others
not Vet disposed Of This however has been more
/ ihau cOmpen ssted Tor by SIX of the old wooden
ships aud by he building of cis"t new sloops OF
/ war, authorized bs the last Congress. The build
/ ing of the latter has occurred lt donDly lortu-
nate time They are about being completed at
/ time when they may possibly be much needed and
! tile work upon them has not only Afforded great
/ employmcnt to thousands OF men, but has no
Doubt been the meaHS of Keeping open establish
ments OF other work nj a time OF great financial
distress.
/ SINCE the commencement OF last month how.
ever, the distressing occurrences which haNei taken
/ place IN the watrrs of the Caribbean soa almost
| on our very seabOard while they illustrate most
lorcbly the necessity always existing that na
/ ion situated like ours, should MAINTAIN IN state
! uf possible efficiency "a navy adequate 10 Hs re
/ -pousbilities, have, at the same time demanded
that all the effective force We really have, shall he
put in immediate readiness for warlike service
/ rhi, has been and Is being done promptly aud
! crecualr, aud am assured that all the available
! -l.ip -, aud every authorized man OF the American
navy will be ready IOr whaiev"r action that may
| hc required for the safety OF our citizens or the
] ma 'ntenIuce OF our honor
This of collrse will require the expenditure IN q
/ short time of some OF the appropriations winch
were caicu lated to extend through the fiscal wear
| hat Cnngre., will, doubt not, understand and
! appreciate the emergency anal provide adequately,
! not Uu, Tor the present preparation but for the
/ future maintenance Oi our naval force.
! The Secretary of the Navy has, during the past
YEAR, been quietly putting some OF our most eHcc'
l live monitors IN condition for service, and thus
the rxigencies lind ms in much better condition for
work Than we could possibly have been without
/ hi- action.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
\ complete exhibit Is presented in the accom-.
NAN, ing report of the Postmaster General Of the
! operations of the Post Office Department during
I he year. The ordinary postal revenues for the
/ q cal wear ended June 80, 1873, amounted to
81 74lj7 aud the expenditures of all kind. to
2J0SI 50 81. The increase Of revenues over ls72
WAS : Osl .sl5 90 and the Increase OF expenditure
7 - .i!G 7j55s independent of the payments made
Lr.lm .Mecln Alnrnn iniinn. undo for mil .trnm.