Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-12-11
| report at this session, l have nothing TO recohi"ehu

report at this session, l have nothing to recommend
until their report Is ready.
INLAND WATER NAVIGATION,
There Is one work, however, OF a nauo1al cha.
acter. in which the greater portion OF the haSt aHu
the West, the North and the South, are equaily IN
~terested, to which viii invite your attenuon. ~ c
State of New York has a canal connecting la Ke
Erie with tide-water on the HudFon river. The
State of illinois has a similar one connecuhg lake
Michigan with the navigable waters on n J limos
River, thus making water comWuhi9atioh- lnlaid
between the East and the West ana u.e South.
These great artificial wafer courses are the prop
erty of the States through which they Pass and pay
toll to those States. Would it mol De wise states
manship To pledge these States that II they Will
open these canals for the passage OF large vessels,
the Government will look aftes and keep in
navigablc condition the great pubic highways
with which they connect, to-wit: The over-slough
on the Hudson, the St. Clair fats, and the Illinois
and Mississippi rivers? This would be a
producers of the West and South. In CIV
ing them cheap transportation for 'helr
produce to the seaboard, and a market; to the con-
suimers in the East in giving them cheaper 1000,
particularly of those articles of food which do not
ind a foreign market, and the prices OF winch,
therefore, are not regulated by foreign demand.
The advantages of such a work are too obviousfor
argument. | submit the subjectto you, therefore,
without further Comment
EXPLORATION OF THE AMAZON.
In attempting to regain our lost commerce ano
carrying trade. heretofore called attention to the
States south OF us as Offering a field where mucn
might be accomplished to further this object. /
suggest that a small appropriation be made, &C
companled with authority for the secretary OF tie
Navy to fit out a naval vessel to ascend the ANA
ION River TO the mouth of the Madeira, thence to
explore that river and its tributaries into
Bolivia and to report TO Congress at its next
session, or as soon as practicable, the aces
sibility OF the country by water, its re-
sources, and the population so reached; Such an
exploration will cost but little. 1t can dc no harm,
and may result in establishing a trade OF value to
both nations.
REVISION OF THE TARIFF LAWS.
In further connection with the Treasury Depart
ton of the tariff laws. and the opening of more
minis for coming money, with authority to coin for
such nations as may apply.
WAR DEPARTMENT.
The attention of Congress is invited to the rec
concentrations OF the Secretary of War herewith
accompanying. The apparent great cost of sup
porting the Academy is fully explained in the re-
port, and it will receive your attention. " hlle In
viting your attention to all the commentators
made by the Secretary of War, there are two which
l would especially invite yon to consider: First:
the importance of preparing for war in time OF
peace by providing for proper armament for our
sea-coast defenses. Proper armament is of vastly
more importance than Notifications. The latter
can be supplied very speedily for temporary pur-
poses when needed; the former cannot. The sec
ond is the necessity of reOpening promotion IN the
staff corps of the army. Particularly Is this neces-
sity felt in the medical, pay and ordnance depart
ments. At this time ii is necessary to employ by
contract surgeons to supply the necessary medl-
cal attention required by the army. With the
present force Of the Pay Department, 1t is now
difficult to make the payments to troops
provided for by law. Long delaysin payments are
productive of desertions and decentralization. and
the law prohibits the payment Of troops by other
than regular army paymasters. There are now
sixteen vacancies in the Ordnance Department,
thus leaving that branch of the service without
sufficient officers to conduct the business of the
different arsenals on a large scale, If ever re-
quired.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
nrS ~, fhn raSt va1 aTfr ratrXy h nc hanp "a I'M IA
by the sale of some vessels no longer tit for naval
purposes, and by the condemnation of others not yet
disposed of. This, however, has been more than
compensated for by the repair 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 occurred at a
doubly fortunate time. They are about being
completed, when they viii possibly be much need
ed, and the work upon them has not only given
employment to thousands Of men, but, no doubt.
has been the means of keeping open establish
meDts of other works st a time of great financial
distress. Since the commencement of last month,
however, the distressing occurrences which have
taken place in the waters Of the Caribbean Sea,
along our very seaboard, while they illus
trate most forcihly the necessity always existing
that a nation situated as ours should main
tain in a state of efficiency a navy ade-
quate TO its responsibilities, has at the same time
demanded that all the effective force we really
have shall be put in immediate readiness for war
like service. This has been and Is being done
promptly and efficiently, and | am assured that all
the available ships, and every authorized man of
the American navy will be ready for whatever &C
ton is required for the safety of our
cities or the maintenance of our honor.
This, of course, will cause the expendi-
turc in a short time of some of the appropriations
which were calculated to extend through the fiscal
year; but Congress will, l doubt not. understand
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 extern
sive monitors in condition for service, and thus the
pXjppUcy finds rs in a much better condition for
war than we could possibly have been without his
action.
PosT-oFFICE DEPARTMENT.
A complete exhibit is presented in the accom-
panying report of the Postmaster General of the
operations Of the Post-otfice Departmental Turing the
year.
ending June 80, 1873, amounted to So, 996 al 81,
and the expenditures of all kinds to S29, 0S4, 945. 81.
The increase of revenues over 1872 was 81 ,0S1 ,315-
20. and the increase In expenditures, S2,426, 153. SO.
Independent of the payments made from special
appropriations for mail steamship lines, the amount
drawn from the general Treasury 10 meet
deficiencies was $5,265.475. The constant 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 being provided,
account for the increased expenditures of this
popular branch of the public service. The total
number of Post offices IN operation on the Both of
June, 1873, was SO, IA. a net increase of 1881 over
the number reported the preceding year. The
number of Presidential offices was 1858, an
increase of 1863 during the year.
The total length of railroad mail routes at the
close of the wear was 63, 457 miles. an increase of
5,546 miles over the year 1872. Fifty-nine railway
post-office lines were in operation on the Both of
June. 1873, extending over 1886 miles of railroad
routes, and performing an aggregate service of
"a. 925 miles daily.
The number of letters exchanged with foreign
countries was 81. 459, 1876, an increase of 3.O96, 6S5
over the previous year, and the postage thereon
amounted to s., 021, 310.S6, and the total weight
of correspondence exchanged in mails with En-
rOpean countries exceeded 92 tons. an increase of
81 tons over the previous year. The total cost of
the United States ocean mail steamship service. in
to subsidized lines of mail steamers, was 81 ,047,-
271. 81. New or additional postal Conventions
have been concluded with Sweden. Norway, Bel
GUM, Germany, Canada, Newfoundland and
Japan, reducing postage rates on correspondence
exchanged with those countries, and further efforts
have been made to conclude a satisfactory postal
convention with France. but without success.
invite the favorable consideration of Congress
to the suggestions and recommendations of the
Postmaster General, for an extension of the free
delivery system in all cities having a population of
not less than 10, 900; for the prepayment of postage
on newspapers and other printed matter of the sec
ond class; for a uniform postage and limit of
weight on miscellaneous matter: for adjusting the
compensation of all Postmasters appointed by
the President by the old method of commissions
on the actual receipts of the office, instead Of the
present mode of fixing the salary in advance upon
special returns; and especially do | urge favorable
action by Congress on the important
ton of the General for the establish
ment of United States postal savings repositories.
Your attention is also again called to a consider
alton Of the question of postal telegraphs and the
arguments adduced in support thereof, in the hope
that you may take such action in connection there
with as in your Judgment will most contribute to
the best interests of the country.