The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-12-19

pendtures diminished, to reach this amount
OF surplus. Not TO provide for the sinking
fund or partial failure to comply with the
contracts and obligations of the government
would be most disastrous to our credit
At the last session of Congress very consider
able reduction was made in rates of taxation
and the number Of articles submitted to taxa
tion, the question may well be asked whether
OF not, III some Instances. unwisely. In con-
nectlon with this subject too, / venture the
f opinion, that the means of collecting the reve-
nue., and especially for imports have been so en-
oarrassed by legislation as to make it question
able whether or not large amounts are not lost
3 by failure to collect to the direct loss of the
! treasury and the prejudice of the interests of
t the honest importers and tax PAYERS
The secretary of the treasury, in his report ia
Vors legislation looking to specie pay meats thus
3 supporting the views previously expressed in
/ .hls message He also recommends economy
III appropriations, attention to the
3 loss of revenue from repeating the
tax on tea and coffee without benefit to the
2 consumer recommends an increase of ten
cents gallon on whiskey, and further that no
mobilization be made in the banking and cur
rency bill passed at the last session of Con
Sress, unless modification should become nee
7 essory by reason of the adoption of measures
! Icr returning to specie payments In these
2 recommendations l cordially Join,
7 Would suggest TO Congress the propriety of
adjusting the tariff as to increase the revenue
articles upon which duties are levied
Those articles, which enter into our manufac-
: lures and are not produced at home, it seems
to me should be admitted free. Those articles
OF manufacture which we produce a constitu-
= ent part OF, but do not produce the whole
that part which we do not produce should en-
ter fr q also. will instance fine wool. dyes
DC. 1h9se articles must be imported, to form
part OF the manufacturing of the higher
grades of wooden goods. Chemicals used as
dyes, compounded in medicines, and used in
various ways III manufacturing, come under
this class. The introduction, free of duties of
such woods as we do not produce would stimu-
late the manufacture of goods re-
| curing the use of those we do
, produce, and therefore would be a benefit to
home production. There are many articles
entering into home manufacture which we do
not produce ourselves, the tariff upon which
increases the cost OF producing the manufac-
tured article. All corrections in this regard
are II the direction of bringing labor and cap
J Ital IN harmony with each other, and of
supplying one of the elements
OF prosperity, so much needed
THE WAR DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of War. here
with attached, and forming part of this mes
. sage, gives all the information concerning the
operations, wants and necessities of the army,
and contains many suggestions and recommen-
datIOns which | commend to your special atten-
tons. There is no class of government employees
who are harder worked than the army officers,
and none who perform their tasks more cheer
fully and efficiently, and under circumstances
of greater privations and hardships. Legisla-
ton is desirable to render more eff
ticent this branch of the public service
All the recommendations Of the Secretary OF
] war | regard as judicious, and especially COM
! mend the following: The consolidation of the
government arsenals the restoration of mile
/ ages to officials travelling under orders: the
| az N nyT rap from no cola of
subsistence stores from being covered into the
treasury the Use of appropriations for the
: purchase of subsistence stores without waiting
for the beginning of the fiscal year for which
the appropriation Is made; for additional APP
, preparations for the collection of torpedo ma
! terias for increased appropriations for the
manufacture OF arms; for relieving the various
states from Indebtedness: for arms charged to
them during the rebellion; for dropping officers
; from the rolls of the army without trial, for
the offense of drawing pay more than once
, for the same period: for the Encouragement
of the plan to pay the soldiers by checks. and
for the establishment of professorship of
Rhetoric and English Literature at West
Point. The reasons for the recommendations
are obvious and are set forth sufficient
ly in the report attached. l also recon-
+, mend that the status of the staff CORPS
= of the army be fixed, which has not already
; been done, so that promotions may be made:
: vacancies filled, as they occur in each grade
W.
: The necessity for such legislation is specially
: now in the pay department The number of felt
vacancies III that department is below the num-
+. Der adequate to the performance of duties re-
: qured of them by law.
, The efficiency of the navy has been
: largely increased during last wear
, under the impulse of foreign
f complications which threatened lis at the com
mencement of last session of Congress. Most
e of our efficient wooden ships were put in con-
dition for immediate service, and the repairs
e OF our lron-clad fleet were pushed with the
n utmost vlgOr. The result is that most of
i these are Ineffective. and need only to be man
e ned and set i'll commission to go at once into
: service. Some of the new slOops author
D lied by Congress are already in com
p mission and most of the remainder are
s launched, and wait only the completion of heir
+ machinery to enable them to take their places
as part of our effective force Two iron tor
$ pedo ships have been completed during the
f last year, and ur of our large double-tuIreted
e lronclads are now undergoing repairs. When
: these are finished, everything that is needful
n of our navy, at present authorized will be
f in condition for ervice. and. with the advance
4 III the science of torpedo warfaOe, the Ameri-
can navy comparatively small as it is. Will be
n found at any time powerful enough for the
: purposes of peaceful nation.
= SURVEYS AND OBSERVATIONS.
year IN aid of science and to increase the sum
of general knowledge and further the interests
of commerce and civilization; extensive and
much-needed .sOundings have been made for
photographic purposes, and to fix the proper
: routes of ocean telegraphs. Further surveys
of the great lsthmus have been
: undertaken and completed, and two vessels of
the navy are now employed in conjunction with
those of Engla' d, France, Germany and Russia
! i'll observations connected with the transit
: of Venus useful and interesting to the scien-
tlfc world. The estimates for this branch of
public service do not differ materially from
those of last year, the general support of the
) service being somewhat less. and thus far I'M
: prOvements at the various stations rather
larger than the corresponding estimate made
a year ago. The regular maintenance and a
steady increase in efficiency of this most i'm
! portaut arm, in proportion to the growth of
our maritime intercourse and interests is rec
commended to the attention Of Congress. The
: use of the navy during peace might be
; further utilized by direct authorization
: of the employment of naval vessels in sur
= veys of the supposed navigable waters of other
natioualities on this continent, especially the
= tributaries of the two great rivers of South
: America, the Orinoco and the Amazon. Moth
ing prevents, under existing laws, such ex-
plorations except that expenditures must be
> made for such expeditions beyond those
usually provided for by the appropriations.
The field designated is unquestionably one of
! interest. and one capable of large DEVELOPMENT
of commercial interests, advantageous to the
people reached, and to those who may estab-
lish relations with them.
THE PosTOFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The education of the DeODle entitled tn ex-