The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1876-12-14

plenish the working stock Ia the supply
departments. The appropriations for the let
named have, for the past few years, been
% limited, that the accumulations In store.
will be entirnly exhausted during the pres
ent year, and II will be necessary TO at once
begin to replenish them.
RECOMMENDATIONS RENEWED.
I invite your special attention to the fol-
lowing RECOMMENDATION of the Secretary
Of Mar-First, that the claims under oct Of
Fourth Of July, 1864, for supplies taken BY
the army during the war, Do removed from
the offices Of Quartermaster and Commits
sary Generals, and transferred to the South
ern Claims Commissioner. These claims ere
OF precisely similar nature to those now be.
fore the Southern Claims Commission, and
the war debt The bureaus have not the
clerical force tor their examination, NOR
proper machinery for investigating the
loyalty OF the claimants. Second, that
Congress sanction the scheme Of an anuui-
ty fund, for the benefit Of the families of
deceased soldiers, and that 1t also provides
for the permanent organization Of the reg
ular service, both of which were recon-.
mended in my last annual message. Third,
that the manufacturing operations of the
ordinance department b, concentrated ct
three arsenals, and an armory, and that the
remaining arsenAls be sold and the pro-
ceeds applied to this object by the ordi-
nance department.
INTERNAL. IMPROVEMENTS
The appropriations for river aud har-
Dor Improvements for the current year
were $5,0l5.0OO. With my approval,
the Secretary Of War directed that OF
| he ck~~ I~r
pended, and no new works should be
began and none prosecuted which were
not of national importance. Suisse
quently this amount was increased 10
81, 237 800, and works are now progress
of
THE SOUTH PASS
of the Mississippi river, under James B.
Eads and his associates, are progressing
favorably. At the present time there Is
. channel of 20 8 10 feet in depth be-
tween the jetties at the mouth of the
passes, 1sl at the head of the pass;
neither channel, however, has the
width required before payments can be
made. The United States commission
of engineer officers Is now examining
the works there and their reports will
be presented as soon as received.
NAVAL AFFAIRS.
The report Of the Secretary of the
Navy shows that branch of the service
to be in condition as effective as 1t is
possible to keep 1t with the means ap-
propriated and given the department.
1t is, of course, impossible to rival the
costly and progressive establishments
of great European powers with the old
material of our navy, to which no in
crease has been authorized since the
war. except the eight small cruisers
built to supply the place of others
which had gone to decay. Yet the
most has been done that was possible
with the means at command. BY sub
stantially rebuilding some Of our old
ships with durable material, and COM
pletely repairing and refitting our mon
itor fleet, the navy has been gradually
SO brought up that though 1t does not
maintain its relative poeition among
the progressive navies of the world. II
is now in 3 condition more powerful
and effective than 1t ever has been in
time of peace.
INADEQUATE APPROPRIATIONS.
The complete repair Of our five heavy
iron clads are only delayed on account OF
the inadequscy Of the appropriations
made last year for tbs working bureaux
OF the department, less In amount than
those made before the war, Notwithstanding
the greatly enhanced price Of labor and
material, and the increase 10 the cost Of
naval service growing out OF the universal
use and great expense of steam machinery.
The money necessary for these repairs
should be provided at once that they may
at once be completed without delay and
expense. When this IL done, all the
siren 9Th that there is In the navy will be
developed and useful to it's full capacity,
and ali will be powerful for the purpose OF
defense, and also for offensive action should
necessity for that arrive al reasonable dis
lance f ON our shores. The fact that our
navy Is not more modern and powerful
than it is, has been q cause OF complaint
against the Secretary of the Navy by per-
sons who at the same time criticize and
complain Of his endeavors to bring the
navy that we have to it's best aud most
efficient condition. But the good sense OF
the country will understand that 1t 10 really
to his practical action that We have al this
time any effective navy force at command
POSTAL AFFAIRS
The report of Postn aster General shows
the excess of expenditures, exclusive
of expenditures on account OF pre-
vlous years, over receipts for the
fiscal year and June 81, 1875.
TO be $4,l5l, 1886. The estimated expen-
diture for the fiscal year ending June 30.
1878, are S38, 72b 432 43. The estimated rev.
enue for the same period is e3O,645, l65 %,
leaving an estimated excess Of expendi.
lures to be appropriated as deficiency, OF
So O7s, 267.43. The Postmaster General,
like his predecessor, is convinced that Q
change in the basis of adjusting the salar-
les of postmaster of the fourth class is ne.
cessary for the good of the service as we'll
as for interests for the government, and
urgently recommends that tho compensa-
tim of the class of postmasters above
mentioned be based upon the business OF
their respective offices as ascertained from
the sworn returns to the auditor Of stamps
cancelled.
PROTECTION NEEDED FOR OFFICIALS.
A few Postmasters in the Southern States
have expressed great apprehension OF their
personal safety on account OF their connec-
lion with the postal service, and have spe-
cially requested 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 testimony OF inter.
ference has been submitted except In the
case of q mail messenger at 6partanburg,
in South Carolina, who reported that ne
had been violently driven away while In
charge of the mails, on account OF his poli!-
zeal affiliations. An Assistant Superinten-
dent of the Railway Mail Service invests
gated this case, and reported that the mes
senger has disappeared from his post. ieav.
ing his work to be performed by substi-
tute. The Postmaster General thinks this
case is sufficiently suggestive to justify