The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-12-07

.wn marc cruisers az lmlllof dimensions,
and one ncei dsmlch y0sstl ana tlal an
be- tnnde for higu
powor rnod cannon for the TOR.
podo service, and for other hurb0r
deiuses. Pending tie consideration 10y
congress Of the policy 20 be hereafter
adopted in conducting the eight lrge navy
y,r,ia and theit expensive establishment,
tbe secretary advOcn led tue reduction Ol
expenditures. They refer to tho least pos
sihie amounts.
FOR the purpose Of anording the officers
and geauien Of the navy opportunities OF
exercise and discipline In their profession
under appropriate control aud direction,
the secretary advises that the lighthouse
service and coast survey be transferred, as
now organized, from the treasury TO the
gests. for the reasons which he
assigned. that q similar transfer
NAV wisely be made of the cruising reve-
nue. vessels. The secretary iorcibly depicts
the intimate connection and the lnterde,
pendence of the naval and the commercial
marine. and invites attention to the contin-
ued decadence of the latter and the cores
ponding transfer of our growing commerce
TO foreign bottoms. This subject Is one OF
the utmost importance to the national well
fare. The methods of revising American
ship building, Of restoring the United states
| flag in the ocean carrying trade, should
receive the immediate attention OF con-
gress. We have mercantile interest
Still, and abundant material Tor the
manufacture of modern iron steam
| ships in fair competition with our CONNER
ciai rivals. Our disadvantage in building
ships is the greater cost of labor, and Ill
sailing them higher taxes and greater inter-
est on capital, while ocean highways are
already monopolized by our formidable
councillors These obstacles should IN
some way be overcome, and with our rapid
communication with foreign lands we
should not continue to depend wholly upon
vessels built in the yards OF other countries
and sailing under foreign flags. With no
United States steamers on the prlncipal
ocean lines or any foreign ports, our facll-
lies for extending our commerce are
greatly restricted, while the nations which
build and sail the ships and carry the mails
and passengers, obtain the very conspicuous
advantage of Increasing their trade.
THE POSTAL DEPARTMENT.
The report of the postmaster-genera!
gives evidence OF the satisfactory condition
Of that department and contains many val
uable data and accompanying Suggestions
which cannot fail to be of interest, The in
formation that it affords, that the receipts
for the fiscal year have ex-
ceeded the expenditures, must pc
very gratifying to congress ana 10 tne peo-
pie of the country. AS matters whlch may
fairly claim particular attention, refer you
tn his observation in reference to the adyls-
ability of changing the present basis Tor
fixing salaries and allowances, OF extending
the .noney-order system, OF eniarglng the
functions of the postal establishments, to
place under its control the telegraph sys-
TEN of the country, though from TINS last
and most important Recommendation
must withhold my concurrence.
AT the last session OF congress several
bills were introduced into the house OF rep
resentatiyes for the reduction OF letter post
age to the rate of two cents per halt'ounce
have given much study and reflection TO
this. and am thoroughly convinced that
such action would be for the best interests
of the public. 1t has been the policy OF the
government from its foundation TO
defray as far as possible the
expense of carrying the mails by direct
tax in the form OF postage. ~ mas neter
been claimed, however, that TINS service
ought to be productive Of the requisite
amount of revenue. AS has been stated
already, the report of the postmaster-gen-
eral shows that there is now very consld,
cradle surplus in his department, and that
henceforth the receipts are likely to increase
at much greater ratio IMAM tne
expenditure. unless sunny Sn@n5S
Is made in the existing laws
The nrofits of the postal service will in
a very few years swell the revenues of the
government many millions OF dollars. The
time seems auspicious for some reduction
in the rates of postage, In what shall that
reduction consist? review OF the legislation
which has been had upon tuiS SUBJECT our
in the last thirty years discloses that 40
nestle letters constitute the only class Oh
mail matters which mas never
been favored by substantial
reduction of rates. / am convinced that
the burden OF maintaining the service ialls
most uneoually upon that class. and that
more than any other it is entitled to presen5
relief. that such relief may be extended
without doubt to other public interests,
will be discovered upon reviewing tne re-
sults of former deductions. lmmedlateiy
prior to the act of 1915 the postage upon
letter composed of single sheet was as
foilows: II conveyed 10 miles or less,
cents: between so and so miles, 10 cents;
between so and 100 miles, 12l cents; be-
tween 100 and 400 miles, lSf;
over 400 miles, 25. By the
act of 1915 the postage upon d single letter
for any distance under 3Oo miles
was fixed at 5 cents and for any greater DIS
lance at 10 cents. BY the act OF 1901 IL was
provided that single letter, ii prepaid,
coed 3 600 miles for cents, and any greater
distance for 6 cents. 1t will be noticed
moth of these reductions were OF radical
character and relatively quite as important
as that which is now proposed. IN eacn
case there ensued temporary loss oil rev.
enue, but there was sudden
and large influx Of business,
which substantially recovered tDat
loss within three years. Unless the experl;
ence of past legislation in this country and
elsewhere goes for naught, it may be safely
nredicted that the stint lus vi % pea Centuiu
reduction in tax for carriage would at once
increase the number of letters consigned to
Inc mails. The advantages OF secrecy
would lead to q very general substitution
Of sealed packets for postal cards ana
open, irregular and divers other
matter would be enormously
Such increase amounted III
ENGLAND In the first year of the adoption OF
penny postage to more than 10 per cent
As a result ofcareiul estimates, the delaus ]
M which cannot be submitted, i an CON
WINGED that the deficiency for the hrst year,
sfier the proposed reduction, would not ex-
ceed per cent. OF the expenditures, or $5,- |
lO0 600 while the deficiency after the reduc- |
tion Of lsl5 was more than "a per cent, and |
after that Of 1851, was q per cent.
Another interesting COMPARISON Is AZ
Fnrded nv statistics furnished me by
lie most Office department. The act OF
1919 was passed In the face Of the tact that
mere existed a deficiency Of more than
s3O 600. that Of 1851 was encouraged by the
light surplus Of $4,000 Ii congress
.bouid approve these suggestions Il may
he deemed desirable TO supply 10 some ex-
lent the deficiency which must ior time
result by Increasing the charge for carrying
which Is now only 10 cents
Der Mound. bat even without such an in
reese / am confident that the receipts un-
ier the diminished rates would equal the
sxpenditures amer the lapse Of three or four
pEPARrMEET Oh JUSTICE.
The report Of the department OF justice
brings anew 10 your notice the present sys-
lem OF Federal Jurisprudence soas Affect
uallv 10 answer the requirements OF the