The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-12-08

4, clads are only delayed on account OF The
iradequacy of the appropriations
made last year for working the bureaus
of the department which were actually
les in amount than those made before
the war, notwithstanding the greatly
enhanced pre- Of labor and material.
and the increase In cost Of naval SER
/ vice. growing out Of the universal use
Of steam machinery necessary for th -
repairs Ii -honld be provided for a.
once so they may be completed with
out further delay aud expense; when
this j. done al! the strength there is in
the navy will be developed and useful
+ TO its full capacity. and Will be pow
erful for the purpose OF defense, and
/ also for offensive action, should necrs
| sity for that arise within reasonable
distance of our shores: and the fact
that our uavv.is not more modern and
| powerful than it Is has been made =
cause Of com olaint against the Secre-
tsry Of the Navy by persons who Al
the same time criticise and complain Ct
his endeavors to bring the navy that
We have TO its best ard most efficient
condition. But the good sense Of he
country viii understand that it Is
really to his practical action that We
have at this time any effective naval
force at command.
PosToFFIcE DEPARTMENT
The report Of the postmaster gen
eral shows the excess of expenditures,
excluding expenditures on account Of
the previous year, over receipts for the
tisca. year ending June 30th, 1876. TO
be $4,l5l ,9SS &c Estimated eXpendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June
30th. 1873. are $50. 1a3. 432 IS. Es'i-
mated revenue for the same period.
$30,645. l9J, leaving an estimated cx-
cess Of expenditure to he appropriated
as deficiency of $6,0:S, 267.43. The
postmaster general, like his preleccs-
sor, Is convinced that change in the
salaries If the postmasters OF the fourth
class is necessary for the COED of tn.
service hs well az for the interest of the
Government. AID urgently recommends
that the coinpensatiom IT that class Of
pos. masters above mentioned he based
on the business of their respective Of
fees. as ascertaiued by the sworn re-
turns of the stamps cancelled.
4 few postmasters in the Southern
States have expressed great appreliea-
sions OF their personal safety on &C
count Of thei. connection with the pos-
tai service, and have specially requested
that their reports of apprehendei dan
ger should not be made public. lest it
| .h.,tl ,,,lt tho inos - thaSr itvna q.
but no positive tcstim my of interior
ence has been submitted. except in the
case Of q mail messenger at Spartan
burg. in South Carolina. who reported
that he had been violently driven away
while in charge of the mails on account
Of his political affiliations. The assist
ant superintendent IF the railway mail
service investigated this case, and re.
ported that the messenger had dissp-
peared from his post, leaving his work
to be performed by q substitute The
Postmaster General thinks this case is
sufficiently suggestive to Justify him in
recommending that severe punishment
shasld. b pr9yided for the ottsnse. OF
mails. or Of retarding or otherwise OBJ
structing them by thrcatsof personal n
jury.
| 4 very gratifying result is presented
in the fact that the deficiency Of this
department, during the last fiscal year
was reduced to Si,Osl. 100 Is, a. against
Sc, l69,93S 80 of the preceding year.
The difference can BE- traced to the
large increase Of its ordinary receipts,
which greatly exceed the estimates
therefor, aud a slight decrease in It's
expenditures. The ordinary receipts Of
the Postoltioe department for the seven
past fiscal years, have increased at an
average rate of over per cent per an
nun. while the Increase of eXpendi
lures for the same period has been
about D per cent. per annurn, and the
increase Of deficiency in the revenues
has been nearly , per cent per annum.
DEPARTMENT o. AGRicULrUHE.
The report of Commissioner OF Agri-
culture accompanying this message.
will be found one OF great interest.
marking, as it does. the great progress
in the last century in the variety of pro-
ducts Of the soil, increased knowledge
and skill in the labor of producing, sav-
ing and manufacturing the same, to
prepare them for the use If man. in the
improvement Of machinery TO aid the
agriculturist in his labors. and a knowl-
edge of scientific subjects necessary tn a
thorough system Of economy in asri-
cultural productions, namely chemistry
botany, entomology, etc. \ study OF
this report by those interested in agri-
culture and deriving their sustenance
from it. will render it of value in point
ing out those articl which are raised
in greater quantity than the needs of
the world require, and which must sell.
therefore, for less than1siie cost Of pro-
duction, and those which command q
profit over cost Of production because
there is not IN over production. call
special attention to the need Of the de
partment for a new gallery fer the re-
ception Of the exhibits returned from
the Centennial exhibition. including
exhibits donated by many foreign ma
tions, and TO the recommendations ot
the Commissioner of agriculture gem
orally.
DISTRICT ~ COLUMBIA.
The reports of the district commits
I sioner and the hoard OF health are JUS.
/ received tso late 20 read Them and 10
make recommendations thereon, and are
{ herewith submitted.
/ TIE CENTENNIAL EXHIBITION.
n