The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-12-14

ss2B
If not paid in advance, ce,................a 60
Six months. in advance. ce......-.......... 90
crossing favorably. AT the present
| time there is a channel of 20 $40 feet
in depth between the jettles at the
mouth of the pass, and lS1s feet at the
head of the pass. Neither channel,
however, has the width required be-
fore payment shall be made by the
United States. A Commission of en-
gineers and officers is now examining
these works. and their reports will be
presented as soon as received.
The Navy.
WHAT THE ROTUND THINKS.
The report of the Secretary of the
Navy shows that he believes the SER
vices to be in condition as effective as
i: is possible to keep it. With tho
means the appropriations give the De-
partment. it is, OF course, impossible
to rival the cost and progressive es-
adjustments of great European pow
ers with the old material of our navy,
to which no increase has been author
lied since the war except eight small
cruisers built to supply the place of
others which had gone to decay, yet
the most has been done that was pos
sible with the means at command, and
by substantially rebuilding some of
our old ships with durable material
and completely repairing and refitting
our monitor feet, the Navy has been
gradually so brought up that, though
it does not maintain its relative posi-
tion among the progressive navies of
the world, it is now in q condition
more powerful and effective than 1t
ever has been in time of peace.
OUR IRON CLADS,
The complete repairs of our five
heavy iron-clads are only delayed on
account of the inadequacy of the ap-
preparations made last year for the
working bureaus of the Department,
which were actually less in amount
| than those made before the war, not
withstanding the greatly enhanced
price of labor and materials, and the
increase in the cost of the naval SER
vice, growing out oe the universal use
aad great expense of steam machinery.
The money necessary for these re-.
pairs should be provided ct once,
that they may be completed with.
out further unnecessary delay and
expense. When this is done all the
strength that there is in the navy will
be developed. and will be useful forthe
purpose of defense. and also for otfen-
sive action, should necessity for that
arise within reasonable distance from
our shore. u@
robson is o. K.
The fact that our navy is not more
modern and powerful than it is, has
been made a cause of complaint against
<~ck hxy q
who, at the same time, eriticise and
complain of his endeaYors to bring the
navy that we have to its best and most
efficient condition, but the good sense
of the country will understand that it
is really to his practiced action that
we have at this time any effective
navy force at command.
The Post-Omce.
ITS PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE.
The report of the Postmaster-Gen-
eral shows an excess of expenditures,
excluding expenditures on account of
previous years over the receipts for
the fiscal year ending June SO, 1876, to
be ST. I5I 1888 66. The estimated ex-
penditures for the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1878, are $50, 723, 432 43, and
the estimated revenue for the same
period is $50, ,645, ,l65, leaving an esti-
mated excess of expenditures 10 be ap-
propriate1 on the deficiency of S6,078,-
267 10.
AS TO SALARIES.
The Postmaster General, like his
predecessor, is convinced that q change
i'm the basis of adjusting salaries of
Posimasters of the fourth class is nec-
essary for the good of the service as
well as for the interests of the Gov
ernment, and urgently recommends
that the compensation of the class OF
Postmasters above mentioned be bas-
ed upon the business of their respec-
tive offices, as ascertained from the
sworn return to the Auditor of stamps
cancelled.
BULL-DoZED DPcsTMAsTERs.
A few Postmasters in the Southern
States have expressed great apprehen-
sions of their personal safety, on ac-
count of their connection with the
postal service, and have specially re-
quested that their reports of appre-
! hended danger should not be made
public, lest it should result in the loss
OF their lives. But no positive testi-
mony of interference has been submit
ted, except in the case of mail mes
senger at Spartanburg, in South Car
olina, who reported that he had been
violently driven away on account of
his political affiliations. An Assistant
Superintendent of the Railway Mail
Service investigated this case, and re-
ported that the messenger had disap.
peared from his post, leaving his work
to be performed by substitute. The
Postmaster-Generalt thinks this case is
sufficiently suggestive to justify him
in recommending that q more severe
, the offense of assaulting any person in
charge of the mails, or of detainining
or otherwise obstructing them by
threats of personal injury.
A very gratifying result is present
ed in the fact that the deficiency OF
this Department during the last fiscal
year was reduced to $$4, 4,OS1, 100 Is, as
against S6169, ,93S SO OF the preceding
year. The difference can be traced to
the large increase in it's ordinary re.
ceipts, which greatly exceeded the es-
Inmates therefor, aud a slight decrease
: in the expenditures. The ordinary re.
ceipts of the Post-office Department
f for the past seven fiscal years have in
9 creased at All average of over eight
per cent, per annum, while the in'
crease OF expenditures for the same
period has been about five and ont
halt per cent. per annum. and the de-
: crease Of the deficiency in the reve'
nues has been at the rate of nearly two
per cent. per annum.
Agricultural
FACTS FOR THE GENTLE GRANGER.
The report of the Commissioner O
E Agriculture, accompanying this mes
sage, will be found one of great inter.
est, marking, as 1t does, the great prog
2 ress of the last century, the increase o.
+ the produce of the soil and of til,
| lod.ro o,.d 81. Ill In lohor Of ,,no