Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-12-06
U. s. DEPARTMENT REPORTS
T8IRTY-SI9 HUNDRED ARMY DE-
SERTRRS.
An Increase Of Pay Recommended 10
Remedy this In Future-About The
Greeley Expedifion-Improv
In the Star Service.

The aupual reports OF the Secretary o
War and toe Postmaster General wsr.
gi7en to the press Monda ay merniDg. TIL.
report OF Secretary of War R I. LiDooln.
shows the expenditures Of the Rsi
Department during the fiscal yesr ending
June Both, 1888, were, $49. 79I, ,O55, AZ
the appropriations tor the year 1884 are
S3l, 766, 952, ,03; the estimates for the
year ending June 30th, 1885, amount to
844, 1856, ,206.7s. An appropriation will
be asked for to cover signal service de-
ficiency.
There were 8, 900 assertions during the
| year To remedy this the secretary recon-
mends an increase in pay to $16 month
for private soldiers and proportionsts
an ount for non commissioned officers. The
number of records OF trials by general
eourt-martisl during the year was 1885
The retirement, at full pay, of enlisted
men who have served for 50 years is re-
| commended.
At the beginning Of the last fiscal year
there remained to the credit of the quar-
termaster's department 81 49,, ,23g IS.
The srm appropriated was $ll ,375 900,
and the bslauoe unarswn At the close of
the y ar, 81, 1916 279 o. There wsre I62
deaths from disease and so from wounds
and accidents. One soldier was killed
and nins wounded in actual warfare.
Appropriations for, and the speedy COM
plst'op and repairs Of the barbetts bat
terles, forts, and electrical rooms md
cable galleries for operating the torpedo
defense are urged.
Relative to ordnance, 1t ia stated that,
although American manufacturers have
not the facilities for making steel forgings
for guns OF eight inches or larger oalibre,
smaller ones made in Philadelphia, by
test, proved to be fully equal to the best
manufactured in Europe.
Substantial encouragement to the
formation of volunteer militia organiza-
tions and an annual appropriation Of
S6oo,00O for this purpose is urged be-
cause, with our small standing army,
our main dependence for public defense
must be on our militia"
The campaign of Brigadier- General
Crook in the Sierra Madre Mountains is
referred to and it ia stated that General
Sherman expresses the belief that II
General Crook is permitted to manage
the Apaches in his own way, all wars
will cease in Arizona, and that with
them will disappear the complicated
Indian question.
THE GREELEY EXPEDITION.
In reference to the Greeley relief expe-
dition the secretary says that the exact
condition and situation of Lieutenant
Greeley and party ia entirely u matter of
conjecture; they have had with them at
Lady franklin bay a supply of food,
clothing, and other necessities, sufficient
to last them until next summer, and
there would be no reasonable apprehen-
sion for their safety If it were known
that they had remained and were now at
Lady franklin bay. 1t is possible, how
ever, that, failing to connect with the re-
lief expedition of 1882, Lieutenant
Greeley, in pursuance with a prearranged
plan, left the bay to come south ward to
the entrance of Smiths Sound and that.
relying upon finding an abundance Of
supplies there, he took with him only
sufficient provision and clothing for the
journey. Even in this case his condition
would be by no means desperate, for at this
point and further north there are supplies
aud il they are not sufficient to sustain
his party until relief vessel can reach
him in 1854, it ia thought that it would
not be impossible for him to return for
the supplies LETT at Lady franklin bay,
although such journey would be dis
hesrteping and very difficult.
THE POSTMASTER GENERALS REPORT.
The report of Postmaster General
Gresham estimates the revenue OF the
Post Office Department for next year at
s47 1O4, ,O7s.3l, and the expenditures at
$50 062, lS9 80. The Star service for
1883 cost %, ,739, AIS with 1898, 1882
miles Of annual transportation, a decrease
in cost from 1880 OF s2,582 2,02l, with an
Increase of 1,s27,7s miles Of trsnsporta-
Iion.
The relations between the Government
and the subsidized Pacific railroads are
pronounced unsettled and unsatisfactory.
A change i'd recommended of the unit
If weight for first class matter from one
nalf an ounce to one ounce. 1t is recon-
nended that the rate on newspapers sent
by others than the publisher be made one
oent FER three ounces.
Mr.. Gresham recommends the passage
,t an sot excluding from the mails every
newspaper containing an advertisement
9f lottery. He opposes the schemes for
postal telegraph service ss
dangerous to the purity and duration of
our institutions.