The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-12-17

q ton concerning the operations, wan
r and necessities of the army, and con
e tains many suggestions and recon
e mendations which | commend to you
/ special attention. There is no class O
: government employees who are harde
: worked than the army, officers ant
5 men-none who perform their task
more cheerfnlly and efficiently ant
\ under circumstances of greater priYa
tions and hardships. Legislation i
: desirable to render more efficient thi
branch of the public service. All the
J communications of the Secretary o
: War [ regard as judicioHs, and / espec
! tally commend to your attention tht
following: The consolidation of gov
ernment arsenals; the restoration o
mileage to officers travelling under or
ders the exemption of money received
from the sale 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, fol
which the appropriation is made; foT
additional appropriations; for the col
lection of torpedo material for increas-
led appropriations for the manufacture
of arms; for relieving the various
! States from Indebtedness for arms
charged to them during the rebellion ;
Cor dropping officers from the rolls OF
! the army without trial for the offence
ofdrawing pay more than once for the
same period for the discouragement
of she plan to pay soldiers by checks,
and for the establishment of profess
sership of rhetoric, and English litera-
ture at West Point l.sr1. .la.5t
| The reasons for the recommendations
are obvious, and are set forth sufficient
j ly in the report attached. / also recon-
mend that the status of the staff corps
of the army be fixed where this has
| not already been done, SO that promo
tions may be made and vacancies filled
as they occur in each grade when re-
duced below the number to be fixed by
law. The necessity for SUCH legisla-
ton is specially felt now in the pay de-
partment. The number of vacancies
In that department is below the num-
ber adequate to the performance of the
duties required of them by law.
The efficiency of the navy has been
largely increased during the last year
under the impulse of the foreign com
pIicati0ns which threatened us at the
commencement of the last session of
Congress. Most of our efficient wooden
ships were put in q condition for i'm
mediate service, and the repairs of the
iron clad fleet were pushed with the
utmost vigor. The result is that most
of these are now in an effective state
and need only to be manned and set in
commission TO go at once into service.
Some of the new sloops authorized by
Congress are already in commission
and most of the remainder are launch"
ed and wait only the completion of
their machinery to enable them to take
their places as part of our effective
force.
Two iron torpedo ships have been
completed during the last year and
four of our large double turreted iron
clads are now undergoing rapairs.
When these are finished everything
that is needful of our navy as now auth
orized will be in condition for service,
and with the advance in the science of
torpedo warfare the American navy,
comparatively small as it is, will be
found at any time powerful for the
purpose of a peaceful nation.
Much has been accomplished during
the year in aid of science and to in
crease the sum of general knowledge
ard 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 telegraph. Fur
ther surveys of the Great Isthmus have
been undertaken and completed, and
two vessels of the navy are now en-
ployed, in conjunction with those of
England, France, Germany and Rus
sia in observations connected with the
transit of Venus, useful and interesting
to the scientific world.
The estimates for this branch of the
public service do not differ materially
from those of last year, the general sup
port of the service being somewhat less
and those for i'm pfoYements at the va
rious stations rather larger than the
estimate made year
ago. The regular maintenance and u
steady increase in the efficiency of this
most important arm in proportion to
the growth of our maritime Intercourse
and interests is recommended to the at
5ention of Congress.
The use of the navy during peace
might be further utilized by a direct
of the employment of
naval vessels in surveys of the suppos-
ad navigable waters of other nationali-
5ies on this continent, specially the
tributaries of the two great rivers of
South America-the OrinocO and Anna
Een. Nothing prevents, under existing
avs, such exploration except that eX-
must be made in such eX-
1editiOns beyond those usually proVid-
ID for in the appropriations.
The field designated is unquestiona-
by one capable OF large development
If the commercial interests, advanta-
seous to the people reached and to
hose who may establish relations with
hem.
The education of the people entitled
o exercise the right of franchise I re-
ard essential to the general prosperity
and especially so in re-
,ublics, where neither education nor
,revious condition does not enter into
ccount in giving suffrage. Next to
he public schools the post office is the
.reat agent of education over our vast
erritory. #..f-
The rapidity with which the sections
re being settled, thus increasing the
arrying of mails in a more rapid ratio
han the increase of receipts is not
farming. The report of the Postmas-
er General, herewith attached, shows
hat there was an increase of revenue
4 his department in 1873 over the pre-
ious year of 81 ,674, All, and an increase
t the cost of carrying the mails and
aging employees, of s., ,04I, ,467.9I. The
eport of the Postmaster General gives
statistics of his sdepartment,
nd compared them with the cores
onning statistics of year ago, show
lg a growth in every branch of the
epartment. A postal convention has
n exchange of postal cards established
18th Switzerland, aud the negotiations
ending for seueral years past with
rance, have Terminated In conven-
on with that country which went in
effect last August.
An international postal congress was
1nvened in Berne, Switzerland, in
eptember last, at which the United
tates was represented by an officer of
le Postolfice Department of much ex-
erience and qualified tor the position.
commission for the establishmentof
n international postal union was
greed upon by the delegates of the
represented, subject to the
pproval of the proper authorities of
lose countries. / respectfully direct
our attention to the report of the Post
[aster General, and to his suggestions
| regard to u suitable adjustment of
he question of Compensation to rail-