The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1881-12-01

~ " vs..--==s;
services. The cost Of the Star. servlcs ought,
therefore, to rapidly decpease In the West.
ern States and Territoyiss.- A careful md
impertisla ihination OF the Star.serStss
md lssd4fiay tho pat inmmse satisfied The !
Ddbar; pant That large reducsid a. couldfbs
m,ae Without cau4ng my i4co& senienSe to
the sect5b1s u. country ssupplisd thessby."
g. minute Investigation into alleged
abuses Ia the Ster-route service " as insti.
tuted by direction Of the late President,
and Is still being prosecuted. The Post
soAiee DEPARTMENT. has CO. operated, and will
Continue to- coI0perate, with the Depart
smsaA.sle sthias inyestiGation- No,
one who has not been directly concerned in
the matter esu fully 'appfeciass the magni-
tudc Of the undertaking. the macs Of record
evidence examined, the difficulties Of a per-
sonal iuyesti CATION ii sparsely settled terri
tories, and tho results attained by the pas
tient and intelligent labors Of the Inspectors
of this Department. There can be no doubt,
from the facts already ascertained, that the
existing, stA'utes leave the way open to great
abuses, and that there Is abundant ground
for asking 4 Judicial Investigation Of the
transactions OF the last few years.
"Ihe one serious difficulty in the way Of
bringi IL back the Department to self.
sustaining basis is,the constantiy-incrcasing
cost of the railway mail service. y This in.
crease during the past fiscal year was $751;
!. 446. regret 70 say that there is deficiency
Of $47s, 155 for this branch of the service for
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1881, which
must be provided for, and also that there
must he An increased appropriation for the
same service of II OF $40 for the fiscal year
ending June 3, 1882 The estimate for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1888. for the rail-
way service is $t0,655 600. There has re.
Gently been an unprecedented growth Of
railroads, and this accounts largely for the
enormous increase OF the cost Of the railway
service.'
The actual payment for the railway -msil
service during the year was $1l, All, 80.
The cost for the current fiscal year will be
$l2, O06, Col. and the estimates for 1883 are
$13, 1871 ,GO1. The enormous growth Of rail.
roads IN 1881 aud 1881, and their anticipated
increase Of mileage in the near future, will
account for great portion Of the augmented
cost for the service.
There were A6l arrests made during the
year for violation Of the Postal laws. OF
this number 42A cases were prosecuted In
the United States Courts, and thirty. seven
In the courts Of the several States in which
the arrests were made. OF the former, 1888
persons. were convicted, twenty-six were
acquitted, three escaped, five forfeited bail,
twenty-fou proceedings were dismissed,
| one was killed while resisting arrest. and
! 1T await trial; thirty highwaymen were ar
| rested and prosecuted In United States
| Courts.
THE ClvIL.sERvICE QUESTION.
"Careiul obscl walton In this Department
| and elsewhere has but confirmed my con
victioh Of the great public benefit to be de-
rived from conducting the public business
lief must be provided from the overwhelm-
ing pressure for appointment to clerkships
| and other subordinate positions, and from
| the equal pressure for the removal OF chpa-
BILE and experienced assistants to make
| room for those who are not more compe.
TO which every citizen may properly aspire.
and the public interest plainly demands that
| admission to it should not depend upon
| personal favor, because such favor can moi
| well be impartial, and because system oil
appointment by mere influence may
ton of private interests and personal ambi-
ton. appointment by influence naturally
results in making the tenure Of office de-
pend, not upon fidelity and efficiency In the
discharge Of official duty, but upon the as
siduous cultivation of the favor Of patron.
Such tenure Is incompatible with the self
respect of the incumbent, and the serv1c<
must necessarily suffer from the decline o.
it's morae. But the evil consequences can
not be limited to the public service: they af'
feet all political action, the purity and vigol
OF the Government. and the National char
acter itself. The question, therefore, il one
of far higher importance than that OF the
comparative fitness OF clerks in the employ
ment Of the Government, and really con-
Germs the character and success Of republic
IN institutions.
The first step, in my judgment, toward
the relief OF the appointing officers and tn
promotion Of the greater efficiency and econ
Independents OF per onal or partisan inhu.
ence. In some important Government Oh
ces of which have had personal knowledge
such system is already IN operation. II
those Offices minor app intments are deter
mined solely by proper qualifications, a.
certained by impartial tests open to all ap.
plicants upon equal terms. The great sue.
cess which has attended this method Of re.
lection proves its practicabiity, while the
good results, both in the service and in the
character Of the officers thus selected, dem.
0nstrates its value. The extension Of this
! method under uniform conditions is earn.
estly to be desired, both to correct familiar
evils in the public service itself and to re.
move the stilfgraver evils which spring from
them. .yst ~ .n.-
:. In my opinion. the same general prin.
ciples should govern the selection and re.
1 fan AZ am NIL In Han Ssf,rSns
| The public Is best served by honest, expert
| enced and competent officers, and changes,
/ therefore, should be made carefully and
only for reasons affecting official conduct.
| Ny views upon this subject are the result Of
prolonged official experience, and am per.
.vsded that the practical application Of
these principles would promote public NOR.
slity, increase the economy and efficiency
Of the pu lie service, and assuage the fury
! Of party spirit. against which Washington
warned the Nlntry a. its chief peri"
| 81 - .---e--i
a9ila Ares Of the United States.
The following table shows the areas in
| miles Of the States and Territories of the
United States, the total water area, aud the
| net land surface, as officially reported by
Henry Gannctt, E. NJ, Geographer and
Special Agent OF the Tenth Census: airl'
lEuitui s713F7t- }s,raiu,rr ~ Tbtal Tbt0l
Water Land
+" 7yg st''P sj1} 81. Gs0es N,s,. Sur
A,.h,.,,,,. u,t' latl A 1. a. fass. facs;
Arizona. ........... 1HOsJ no 1880
Arkansas. ...-..... $3.50 86 53OA5
California. ...l......... 1i8,38) 1880 155960
colorado. .............. 1Ok9S5 80 1O38A5
Connecticut. .......... 4,930 l45 Aa45
Dakota ................ 1890 lao 1ly.VOO
Delaware -. ..... ~ q SOSO 90, lNHO
District of Columbia 20 10 - &c
Rl0rfd0 ~ SNt5 70 QQl AAAl 0A0