Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-17

civil service REFORM" | win recaras,.
ton as disapprovai of the sys,s9 a,l AZ
abandon IL. Except so Ear 20 REQUIRE srs- Viii
Mons Tor certain zppointees to detar,ni.s u
doned. ".4a oe aoaa-
iac gentlemen who have given their sa-,s.
without conp ensailon as members Of The pa.ss
70 devise rules and regulations for th e Oato
ment OF the eountry's civil service haya g t.n-
much Zeal and earnesfness in their worL agNh
them as weii as 10 myself, it will be .on.ca ~
mortiheation II II liz to be thrown away p "
repeat that IL is impossible TO carry ~. Dul
to successful issue without general an,,sa sn
and assistance. and positive law 10 support Il
THE EMPLOYMENT OF LABOR
4 have stated that the elements OF n,o.
Ky % the nations capitalization skilled ana ~
skilled and products OF the soil--stilI renal. .t
| With us. 10 direct the employment 81 ,halt
Is e problem deserving the most se sHese
attention Of Congress II employmen,
| | have expressed the opinion. and renes, =
here that the first requisite TO the accoinnI;I ~
nent OF this end Is the substitution OF q SQUAD
currency In place Of one OF aGctuating yaIna
| This secured, there arc many interests shs.
| might be fosiered to the great profit Of bn.S
labor and capital How to induce capital IN era
pioy labor Is the question.
| CHEAP TRANSPORTATION
The subject Of cheap transportation has oecn
| pied the attention of Congress. New ligbr ON
| this question will. without doubt be given hv tb
committee appointed by the last Congress Ia In.
yestisate and report upon this subject
! THE OCEAN CARRYING TRADE
| revival OF ship-building, and particuiarlv -,
iron steamship building, Is oi vast importanSa
| TO our national prosperity. The United States 4.
now paying over 81 10000 per annun forfr.irhts
and passage on foreign ships, TO be carried ahToa
4 and expended In the employment and SUPPORT NJ
| other people, beyond fair percentage OF wbSt
| should 90 TO foreign vessels, estimatiug on tbe
| tonnage and travel of each respectively n IA
| TO be regretted that this disparity in The cary
| ing trade exists and to correct il / would be
| willing TO see great departure from the usus
course of the Government in supporting what
| might usually be termed private enter
| prise. would not suggest as rem
edy direct subsidy TO the American
steamship lines, but would suggest the dirert
offer of ample compensation for CARRYING the
| mails between the Atlantic seaboard cities and
the Continent on American-owned and Ameri-
| can-built steamers, and would extend this
| lberality to vessels carrying the mails To the
South American States and 10 Central America
and Mexico, and would pursue the same policy
from our Pacific seaports to foreign seaports on
the Pacific. II might be demanded that vessels
built for this service should come mp to stand.
ard fixed by legislation in tonnage, speed and al!
| other qualities, looking TO the possibility of The
| Government requiring them at some time for war
purposes; the right also of taking possession Of
them in such an emergency should be guarded
l offer these suggestions, believing them
worthy of consideration, in all seriousness affect
ing all sections and all interests alike IfanythiDp
better can be done to direct the country, into a
| course of general prosperity one will be more
| ready than / to second the plan.
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
| Forwarded herewith will be found the report
| of the Commissioners appointed under an act Of
Congress, approved June 20, 1874, to wind up the
affairs Of the District Government. # viii 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 1, 1874, S. $40 43; 1855 bonds By act Of
Congress June 90 1874, S20SS, 16 10; certificates
OF OF. the rs, Board Of Audit s4T1o55s45 total s15,
| ments chargeable to private property in
excess Of any demand against such assess $
ment csls1l4ofb4 asds less oo6 Chesapeake
ington & Alexandra Railroad bonds,
| $4,000; in the hands of the Commis sioners Of
the sinking ah Fund s!s go sIs ssxng the
dition to this there are claims preferred againts
| the Government of the District amounting in
the aggregate, reported by the Board of Audit
| to 3,l47i57.48, of which the greater part viii
| probably be rejected. This sum can with no
more propriety be included in the debt of the
District Government than can the thousands Of
| claims against the General Government be in
| cluded as portion OF the national debt; but the
aggregate sum thus stated includes something
| more than the funded debt chargeable exclusive.
| ly to the District of Columbia.
The act of Congress OF June 20, 1874, contem.
plates an apportionment between the
| United States Government and the District
of Columbia In respect TO the payment OF the
principal and interest of the 3.65 bonds; there
| fore, in computing with precision the bonded
debt Of the District, the aggregate sums above
j
| outstanding certificates of the Board of Audit
! and the unadjusted claims pending before that
| Board, should be redaced to the extent of the
| amount to be apportioned to the United States
| Government in the manner indicated in the act
| Of Congress of June 90 1874 / especially invite
your attention to the recommendation of the
Commissioners Of the Sinking Fund relative TO
the ambiguity OF the act of June 20, 1874, the in
terest on the District bonds and the consoda-
| ton of the Indebtedness of the District.
feel much indebted to the gentlemen who
consented to leave their private affairs and come
from distance to attend TO the business Of this
District AND for the able and satisfactory manner
In which IL has been conducted. | am sure their
services will be equally appreciated by the entire
country.
1t will be seen from the accompanying full re-
port of the Board of Health that the sanitary
condition of the District is very satisfactory. In
| my opinion the District of Columbia should be
regarded as the grounds of the National Capital,
| do not allude to this to urge generous appro-
priations to the District, but TO draw the atten-
| ton OF Congress, in framing law for the gov
eminent of the District, to the magnii-
| cent scale which the city was planned
| by the founders of the Government; the manner
| In which, for ornamental purposes, the streets
and avenues were laid out, and what was the pro-
portion of the property actually possessed by the
/ General Government. think the proportion OF
the expenses of the Government and improve.
| ments to be borne by the General Government
and the cities of Washington and Georgetown
and the country should be carefully and equitably
defined.
l THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
In accordance with Sec. of the act ap
| proved June %, 1874, appointed board TO
make survey OF the mouth OF the Mississippi
1 River, with view to determine the best
| method Of obtaining and maintaining =
| depth of water sufficient for the pur-
poses OF commerce., etc, and In accord
ance with an act entitled IAN act to provide for
| the appointment of Commission Of Engineers
| te investigate and report plan for the excava-
ton OF the alluyia basin of the Mississippi River
subject to inundation," Iappointed Commission
Of Engineers. Neither board has yet completed
| Its labors. When their reports received they
| will be forwarded to Congress without delay.
| (Signed) u. s. GRANT.
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Dec. q 1874.
On the last day of the Hartford
| meeting of the American Association,
President Barnard, of Columbia College,
delivered an address on the Metric Sys
tenn He predicted that the metric sys-