The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-12-17
LABOR AND CAPITAL.

pronerty Of ', ,he nation. can;taI
labor, skilled and unskilled, and
products oil the soil, still remain with US.
To direct the employment of these is prob
lem requiring the most serious attention Of
Congress. If employment can lie given 70
all labor offering itself, prosperity necessarily
follows: have expressed the opinion, and
repeat it, that the first requisite to the &C
cOmplishment of this end is the substitution
Of sound currency in place Of one Of fuc-
tuating value. This secured, there are many
interests that might be tostered to the great
profit Of both labor and capital. How to in
duce capital to employ labtr is the question.
The subject of
CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
has occupied the attention of Congress.
New light on this question will without
doubt be given by the committee appointed
by the last Congress to investigate and re-
port upon the subject. A revival of
SHIP BUILDING,
and particularly of iron steamship building,
is of vast importance to our national pros
perity. The United States is now paying
over 100000 per annum for freights
and massage on foreign shipments to be car
ried abroad and expended i'll the employ
ment and support of other peoples, beyond
a fair percentage of what should go to foreign
vessels, estimating on the tonnage and travel
of each respectively. 1t is to be regretted
that this disparity in the carrying trade ex-
lists, and to correct it l would be willing to
see great departure from the usual course
OF the government in supporting what might
usually be termed private enterprise.
could not suggest rs 8 remedy direct sub
! sidy to American steamship lines, but l
| would suggest the direct offer of ample COM
| penSation for carrying the mails between
the Atlantic seaboand cities and the CONT
| built steamers, and would extend the LIBERAL
ity to vessels carrying mails to South Ameri-
can States and to Central America nd Mex
leo, and would pursue the same policy from
our Pacific sea ports to foreign seapOrtS ON
the Pacific 1t might be demanded that
vessels built for this service should come up
to standard fixed by legislation in tonnage,
speed and all other qualities, looking to the
possibility of the government requiring them
at some time fer war purposes The right,
also, of taking possession OF them i'll such
emergency should lie provided l offer
these suggestions, believing them worthy Of
consideration in all seriousness, affecting all
sections and all interests alike. If anything
better can be done to direct the country into
course of general prosperity, no one will
he more ready than l to second tie plan.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
Forwarded herewith will be found the re-
port OF the commissioners appointed under
an act OF Congress, approved June 70, 1874,
TO wind up the affairs of the District govern
ment. 1t will be seen from the report that
the total debt OF the District of Columbia,
less securities on hand and available, is the
bonded debt issued prior to July !, 1874, OF
90, SS3 ,94J.4o; three hundred and sixty live
bonds under the act OF Congress of June 20,
|, 1874, OF S2,OS5, 1878; certificates of the
board OF audit for "a, TT, 55S AS; total sic,
co., l less the special improvement assess
nents chargeable to private property i'll ex-
cess OF any demand against such assessment,
OF $l,6l4, o54.37, less the Chesapeake & Ohio
canal bonds OF $40, 10000, and the Washington
, IL Alexandria railroad bonds OF EOS, 5000, in
the hands OF the commissioners oil the sink
| ing fund 81 Tax, 054.37, leaving the actual
/ debt, less paid assets, ut 3,994,6i3.24. In
addition to this. there are claims preferred
= against the government OF the district
, amounting in the aggregate, reported by the
board of audit, to So, l47, ISL. AZ, of which the
: greater part will probably lie rejected. This
' sum can with no more prOpriety he included
, in the debt Of the district government than
can the thousands of sums against the gen.
e eral government be included as portion Of
e the national debt But the aggregate
a sum thus stated includes some,
E debt, chargeabe exclusively to the District
t of Columbia. The act OF Congress of Novsm-
Der 23th, 1874, contenplates All apportion-
q ment between the United States government
r and the District Of Columbia i'll respect 10
{ the payment OF the principal and interest oil
= the 3-65 bonds Therefore in computing
e with precision the bonded debt OF the District
e OF the aggregate sums above stated as re-
: spects the 800 bonds now issued, the out
: standing certificates of the board OF audit and
II the unadlusted claims pending before that
board should be reduced to the extent Of
the amount to be apportioned to the United
| States government in the manner indicated
II in the act of Congress of June Goth, 1874.
{ especially invite your attention to the recon.
: mendation Of the commissioners OF the sink
:, ing fund relative to the ambiguity OF the ac
!, OF June 10th, 1874, the interest on the dis
u trict bonds and the consolidation OF the in.
: debtedness TO date. | feel much indebted u
y the gentlemen who consented to leave theil
o private aifairs, and come from a distance, X
!, attend to the business OF this district, ana
: for the able and satisfactory manner in which
2 it has been conducted, | am sure theil
services will be generally appreciated by tlle
entire country
l.; II will be seen from the ACCOMMODATING
,f full report Of the board OF health that ths
: sanitary condition OF the District is very sat
e isfactory In my opinion the District Of Co.
umbia should be regarded as the ground o
n the National Capitol, in which the entir'
l. people are interested. ! do not allude TO thi
e 10 urge generous appropriations to the Dis
r trict, but to draw the attention OF Congress
% in framing law for the morale Of the Dis
d trict to the magnifct mt scale On which tn
+ city WAS planned by the founders Of the gov
eminent, the manner in which, for orna
ment. purposes, the reservations, street.
:, and avenues was laid out, to the proportion
!, Of the property actually possessed by tn
- general government Think the proportion
OF the expenses and improvements TO b
- horne by the general government in tn,
= cities Of Washington and Georgetown, ant
!. the country should be carefully and equitabl,
!; defined
p IMPROVEMENT or THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
IS IL accordance with section 81 of the &C
y approved June 23d, 1874, / appointed
y board to make survey Of the mouth Of tn
l. Mississippi river with view TO determiD
e the best method Of obtaining and maintain
es ing depth Of water sufficient for the pur
OF poses of commerce, &C., and iu aecordane
" with an act TO provid
8, for the appointment Of
OF Commission Of Engineers to report pla
e, for the protection Of the alluyial basin Of u,
a. Mississippi river subject to inundation,
Of appointed commission Of engineers Nei
G ther board has yet completed its labon
III When their reports are received they will b
d forwarded 10 Congress without delay.
ne fSignedj u s. GRANT.
ms ExEcrr1vs MAsnos, Dec 7, 1874.
a Remarkably bad Basiness Expexi