The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-04
The Postof1oe pepartment.

The report of the Postmaster General
bears testimony to the general revival of
business throughout the country. The
the fiscal year ended June 80 were $780,
O4l, ,9S2 Sc, being $764, 465 81 more than the
revenues of the preceding year. The
amount realized from the sale of postage
stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal
cards, was 1854, ,455 81 more than in the
preceding year, and $2,3S7, $50 % more
than in 1877. The expenditures of
the Department were S33449, 800 45, of
which sum of 1916, ,46l 63 was paid on lia~
bilities occurred in preceding years. The
expenditures during the year were $S0l, -
200 II less than in the preceding year.
This reduction is to be attributed mainly
to the operation of the law passed June
II, 1878, changing the compensation of
postmasters from commission on the
value of stamps sold, to commission on
stamps cancelled.
The Postmaster General recommends
an amendment of the law regulating the
increase of compensation for increased
speed on star routes, so as to enable him
TO advertise for proposals for such in
creased service and speed. He also sug-
gests the advantages to accrue to the conn
merce Of the country from the enactment
of general law authorizing contracts
| with American built steamers, carrying
the American flag, for transporting the
mail between ports of the United States
and ports of the West Indies and South
| America, at a fixed maximum price per
mile, the amount to be expended being
regulated by annual appropriations, in
| like manner with the amount paid for the
domestic star service.
Department of Agriculture.
My recommendation in former mesr
sages are renewed in favor of enlarging
tie facilities of the Department of Agri>
culture, Agriculture is the leading in
terest and the permanent industry of our
people. 1t is the abandace of agricultur-
al production as compared with
our home consumption, and the
largely increased and highly profitable
mark ct abroad which we have enjoyed in
recent years, that we are mainly indebted
for our present prosperity as a people,
| We must look tor its continued maiute-
nance to the same substantial resource
| There is no branch of industry in which
labor, directed by scientific knowledge,
yields such increased production in COM
parison with uuskilled labor, and no
branch of the public service to which the
encouragement of liberal appropriations
can be more appropriately extended. The
omission to render such aid is not a wise
economy; but, on the contrary, undoubt-
edly results in losses of immense sums
annually that might be saved through
we'll directed efforts by the Government
to promote this vital interest.
Washington Monument.
The Joint Commission created by the
act of Congress of August 2, 1876, for the
purpose of supervising and directing the
completion of the Washington National
Monument, of which Commission the
President is member, has given careful
attention to this subject and already the
strengthening of the foundation has so
far progressed as to insure the entire sue
cess of this part of the work. A massive
layer of masonry has been introduced
below the original foundation, widening
the base, increasing the stability of the
structure, aud rendering it possible to
carry the shaft to completion. 1t is earn
estly recommended that such further ap.
propriatOns be made for the continued
prosecution of the work as may be neces-
sary for tho completion of this National
Monument at an early day.
f.. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
Executive Mansion, Dec. l, 1879.