The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-12-08

49, --Ny $500 SAAAA9E 80 o@~A-S 80
the estimates are made. The estimates for |
service and estimates for Improvements IN |
various locations, now presented, are about |
six millions IN excess Of the appropriations
for the years 1874 1916. This increase e |
asked in order to provide for a increased
cavalry force, should their services be
to prosecute, economically work
on important public buildings; to provide
for the armament Of fortifcations
and manufactures of small arms, and to
replenish working stock in the supply
depots. The appropriations of these last
named have for the past few years betn SO
limited that the accumulation of stores viii
be entirely exhausted during the present
year and it win be necessary to at once
begin to replenish them.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
/ invite your special attention to the
following recommendations of the Secretary
of War. First. That the claims under the
act of July 4, 1864, for supplies taken
by the army during the war be
be removed from the Offices of Quarter
master and Commissary Generals, and
transferred to the Southern Claims Com
mission. These claims are of q precisely
similar nature to those now before the
Southern Claims Commission, and the War
Department bureaus have not the clerical
force for their examination, nor the proper
machinery for investigating the legality of
the claims. Second. That Congress sane
ton the scheme of an annuity fund for the
benefit of the families of deceased officers,
and that it also provide for the permanent
organization of the regular service, both of
which were recommended in my last aunn-
al message. Third. That the manufactur-
20 0V1oVo {snna nf the
be concentrated at three arsenals and ar
mories, and that the remaining arsenals be
sold and the proceeds be applied to this
object by the ordnance department.
The appropriations for river and harbor
Improvements for the current year were
$5,0l5, 900. With my approval the
Secretary of War directed that Of this
amount 100000 should be expended
and no new works should be begun and
none prosecuted which were not of national
importance. Subsequently this amount
was increased to 1921, 900 and works are
now progressing on this base.
a CAPT. EADs' JETTIEs.
The improvement of the South Pass of
the Mississippi river, under j. B. Eads and
his associates, is progressing favorably.
At the present time there is a channel of
20 10 feet in depth between the ietties at
the mouth of the pass, and l83 feet at the
head of the pass. Neither channel, how
ever, has the width required before pay.
ment shall be made by the United States.
A commission of engineers and officers is
now examining these works and their re
ports will be presented as soon as received.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
shows that he believes the service
to be in as effective a condition as
it Is possible to keep it with the means
appropriated to the Department. It Is
of course impossible to rival the costly and
progressive establishments of the great
European powers with the old material of
our navy, to which no increase has been
authorized 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 possible with
the means at command, and by substan-
TALLY rebuilding some of our old ships with
durable material, and completely repairing
and reftting our monitor feet, the navy
has been gradually so brought up that
though it does not maintain its relative po-
sition among the progressive nations of the
world, it is now in condition more pow
erful and effective than it ever has been in
time of peace. The complete repairs of
our five heavy iroHclads are only de
layed on account of the inadequacy
of the appropriations made last year for
the working divisions of the department.
which we're actually less in amount than
those made before the war. Notwithstand'
ing the greatly enhanced price of labor and
materials, and the increase in the cost of
the naval service, growing out of the
universal use and great expense of steam
machinery, the money necessary for
these repairs should be provided for at
once that they may be completed without
further unnecessary delay and expense.
When this is done all the strength that
there is in the navy will be developed and
useful in its full capacity. and all will be
powerful for the purposes of defence, and
also for offensive action should necessity
for that arise within a reasonable distance
from our shore. The fact that our navy is
not more modern and powerful than it is,
has been made cause of complaint against
the Secretary of the Navy by persons who,
at the same time, criticise and complain of
endeavors to bring the navy that we have
to its best and most efficient condition, but
the good sense of the country will under
stand that it is really to his practical action
that we have at this time any effective
naval force at our command,
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT..
The report of the Postmaster General
shows an excess of expenditures, excluding
expenditures on account of previous years.
over the receipts for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1876, to be $4,l5l, 1886. The
estimated expenditure for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1873, Is $50, 723, 432.43
The estimated revenue for the same period
is $50, 645, les, leaving an estimated excess
of expenditure, to be appropriated as de-
6ciency, of SCOTS, 267.43. The Postmas
ter General, like his predecessor, is con
WINGED that q change in the basis of
adjusting the salaries of postmasters of the
fourth class is necessary for the good of the
service, as well as for the interested the /
government, and urgently recommends that
the compensation of the class of postmas-
tiers above mentioned be based on the
business of their respective Offices as ascer
tanned from sworn returns to the Auditor
of stamps Cancelled.
BULLDozED PosTMAsTERs.
A few postmasters in the South
ern States they have expressed great
apprehensions of their personal safe
tY on account of their connection
with the postal service, and have
specially requested that their reports of
danger should not be made |
public lest it should result in the loss of
their lives, bnt no positive testimony of any
has been submitted except in /
the case of mail messenger at
in South Carolina, who re.
ported that he had been violently driven |
away while in the discharge of his duties,
on account of his political affiliations. The |
Assistant Superintendent of the Railroad /
Service investigated this case, and reported /
that the messenger had disappeared from
his post, leaving his work to be performed
by substitute. The Postmaster General /