The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-12-06

II the revenue for the fiscal year which will
end on June 80, 1855, be estimated upon the
basis Of existing laws the Secretary is OF the
ceed by s6o.ooooO0 the ordinary expenditures.
including the amount devoted to the sinking
fund. Hitherto the surplus. ~ RAPIDLY as II has
accumulated, has been devoted to the reduction
Of the national debt. Al = result. the On y
bonds now outstanding which are redeemahle at
the pleasure OF the Government are the 3 per
cents @ , amounting :. about o. s.,o o. o the Inc
S7s'.ooao Of Per cents. are not payable until
1891 and 1907, respectively. II the surplus shall
hereafter bc as large as the Treasury estimates
now indicate, the per cent. bonds may all be
redeemed at least four wears before any Of the
a. per cents. can be called in. The latter, at
the same rate Of accumulation OF surplus, can
be paid at maturity, and the moneys requisite
for the redemption Of the per ems. will
be In the treasury many years before those
obligations become payable.
Postal Matters.
The report OF the Postmaster General contains
4 gratifying exhibit OF the condition and
the rsse service e eommis.ea to as eare
IL appears that on june 81, 1ss3, the
whole number Of postoflccs was 7,s6a, of which
~sTs rs s the ss
the system of free delivery, was 1914 At thesc
latter offices the postage on local matter
amounted to q, ,ies, ,aso.sa. sum exceeding by
service Of the country. The rate Of
postage on drop letters passing through
these oihces Is now fixed hv law Mt
two cents per half-Ou or fraction thereof. In
offices where the carrier system has not been
tablished the rate II one-half As large II will
be remembered that In 1865. when free delivery
rate postage upon local letters was one cent,
and 50 il remained until 1879. when in those cit
les where carrier service Was established 1t WAS
Ii seems 10 me that the old rate may now with
proplietv be restored. and that, too, even
Mt the li,k Of diminishing, for time at least,
.esss m ,lS pos,ase n Gss
mail matter should be held accountable for the
entire cost OF not only its own collection and
dsliyes but tns collection and delivery s Of al
sideratinn Of the subject, that the reduction Of
the rate would he followed by such growing &C
ceesion Of business AZ to occasion but slight and
Postal TeleSraphy.
Tho Postmaster General devotes much Of his
report TO the consideration, In Its various as
| the telegraph Such reflection as ! have been
able to give to this subject since my last annual
message has not lei me to change the view
which there expressed. In dissenting from the
recommendation of the Postmaster General,
that the Government assume the same control
over the telegraph which It has always cxer-
iy in the premises i ss annie l.
| has ever been claimed for II, It would
not, In my Judgment, be . wise use
Of m
| Others with view OF entering into general COM
petition with private enterprise. The objections
| which may be Justly ursed against either ot
which would require IN enormous increase In
the civil service list, do not. however, apply to
some Of the plans which have lately provoked
claimed. for example. that Congress
might wisely authorize the Postmaster
General to contract with some private person
AZ specified rates and under Government super
vision. Various such schemes OF the same gen.
eial nature. but widely differing in their special
1 lie prints, and the arguments by which they
have been supported and opposed have doubt.
less attracted yonr attention II Is likely tina,
the presen, session. In the nature Of things. il
involves 70 many questions of detail that youl
deliberations would probably be aided
sasselsions -ss Which msh. any NOW sas%
l ayow INV belief. however, that ths
| Government should be authorized hy law to cx.
creise some sort Of supervision over inter State
| telegraph communication, aud ] express tn
\ hope that for attaining that end some measure
may he devised which will receive Your approba
| tion.
4 Jurors and Witnesses In Federal Courts.
| The Attorney General criticizes. In his report
the provisions OF the existing law fixing the fees
1 of Jurors and witnesse In the Federal courts
The provisions are chiefly contained in the ac'
Of Feb. %. 1888, though some Of them were In
\ traauced into that action from statute,
| which had been passed many years previous
| II il manifest that such compensation 4,
might. when these laws were enacted. have beer
| just aud reasonable. woald In many instance,
| be Justly regarded nj the present day rs mad
| eluate concur with the Attorney General II
the belief that the statutes should be revised BY
| which these fees are regulated 40, too. should
the laws which regulate the compensation 81
District Attorneys and Marshals. They shonlt
| be paid wholly by salaries, instead Of Impart b,
| fees. ~ II now the .asa. The change woult
prove to bn a measure OF economy. and Woult
discourage the Institution of needless and op
| preSsiNe legal proceedings. which, 1
| IL to he feared, have, IN some instances becI
conducted 'or the mere sake Vt personal gain.
Interior Department. .
Much interesting and varied information i
| contained In the report OF the Secretary of tn
Interior. ] particularly cali your attention 4