Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1882-12-04


ment. One of them is specially referred
to by the secretary in recent decision
OF the supreme court. The necessity of
amending the law by which the duties
and standard of color is adopted as the
test of saccharine strength of sugars is
too obvious to require comments.
THE WAR DEPARTMENT..
From the report of the secretary OF
war it appears that the only outbreaks
OF Indians during the past year occurred
in Arizona and in the southwestern part |
of New Mexico. They were promptly
quelled and the quiet which has pre-
vailed in all other parts of the country
mas permitted such an addition to be |
made to the military force in the region |
endangered by the ipacies ths. there is !
little reason to apprehend trouble in the |
future. The reports of the secretary
which relate to our sea coast defences
| and their armament, suggest the |
gravest reflections. Our existing
tortlficatiOns are notorionsly inadequate |
to the defense of the great harbors and
cities for whose protection they were
built. The question Of providing an ar
mament suited to our present necessities
has been the subject of consideration by
board whose report was transmitted to
congress at the last session. Pending the
consideration of that report, tie war de-
partment has taken no steps for the
manufacture or conversion of any heavy
cannon, but the secretary expresses the
hope that the authority and means to
begin the important work will soon be
provided.
1 invite the attention of
of making more adequate provisions for
arming and equipping the militia than is
still upon the statute books. This mat
ter has already been the subject of dis
cussion in the senate, and a bill which
seeks to supply the deficiencies of exist
ing laws is now upon its calendar. The
secretary OF war calls attention to the
fact that an embarrassment grows out Of
the recent act of congress, making the
retirement Of officers Of the army COM
pulsory at the age of 81. The act
of 1878 is still in force. which limits
to 400, the number of those who
can be retired for disability or
upon their own application. The
two acts, when construed together, serve
to forbid the relieving, even for absolute
incapacity, of officers who do not fall
within the purview of the latter
statute, save such times as there
chance to be less than 400 names on
the retired list; there are now 42O. 1t
lis not likely that con.
gress intended this result. concur
with the secretary fiat the law ought to
be amended.
i POSTAL MATTERS.
Experience the last 30 years shows that
domestic letters constitute the only class
OF mail matter which has never been fa-
J vored by substantial reduction Of rates.
+ am convinced that the burden of main.
! tanning the service falls most unequally
upon that class and that more than any
: other 1t is entitled to present relief
8 That such relief may be extended with
t out detriment to other public interests
e will be discovered upon reviewing the
t results of former reductions. Immedi-
[ ately prior to the act of 1S45 the
! postage upon letter composed of a
single sheet was as follows
| conveyed thirty miles or less, six cents;
3 between thirty aud eighty miles, ten
cents; between eighty and one hundred
and fifty miles, twelve and one-hali
!. cents; between $50 and 400 miles, eigh-
teen and three-fourths cents, over 4OC
q miles twenty five cents. By the act OF
= lS45 the postage upon a single letter
. conveyed for any distance under thirty
= miles was fixed at five cents, and for any
!, greater z ten cents.
BY the act OF 1851 it was provided tina
q q single letter, if prepaid, should be car
ried any distance, not exceeding 3,O0(
, miles, for three cents and any create
distance for six cents. 1t will be noticed
! that both of these reductions were of
- | oo1 ~, M
important as that which is now proposed
u In each case there ensued II temporar,
: loss within three years. Unless the e1
; perience of past legislation in thl
{. country and elsewhere goes fo
,t naught, it may be safely pre-
l. dlcted that the maximum G
e. fifty per cent reduction in the tax fo
D. carriage would at once increase tn
g. number OF letters consigned to the mai
D. The advantage of secrecy would lead
r, very general substitution OF scale
"a packets for postal cards and other circr
,e lars and in divers other ways til
i volume OF frst.class matter would b
'e enormously augmented. Such increas
le amounted in England in the first yea
Of the adoption OF the penny postage t
t. more than 125 per cent. as rule,
Sc CAREFUL estimate of the details of whic
cannot be here given. have been col
at at cheney for the first yes s
O. after the proposed reduction would ne
le exceed seven per cent of the expend
Sc lures. or three million dollars; while til
n. deficiency after the reduction of 1874
t, was more than fourteen per cent an
IN after that of 1851 was twenty seven pc
a cent: Another interesting compariso
ut is offered by statistics furnished me b
1t the postofice department. The act
N l845 was passed in the face of the fac
or that there existed a deficiency of mo,
it than thirty thousand dollars. That
IL 1851 was encouraged by the slight su
as plus of $4,000. The excess of revenr
is In the new fiscal year Is likely to be 81
" 100000.
ut DEPARTMENT. OF JUSTICE.
al If congress should approve these su.
70 gestions. it may be deemed desirable
~ supply to some extent the deiicienc
~ which must result in increasing I'll
a. charge for carrying merchandise, whit
OF is now only l6 cents per pound. b,
G even without such an increase, I am CO.
fident that receipts under dimiuishe
q. rates would equal expenditures after
IS. lapse of three or four years.
It's The report of the department of ju
e. tice brings anew to your notice the n
he cessity of enlarging the present syste
be OF federal jurisprudence so rs to effec
he ually answer the requirements OF I'll
ed ever, increasing litigation with which
N. is called upon to dea
'al The encouragement renews the su.
ed pestiOnS of his pre1ecessor that in III