The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-12-17

the time is not lost which Is spent
| In their careful consideration and SELECTION.
All must admit the importance OF AN effective
navy To "A matte like ours, having such an OK
tended coast 10 protect. Yet we have not
single vessel OF war that could keep the seas
against frst-class vessel OF amy important
! power. such n condition ought not longer 20
continue. The nation that can not resist Hggres-
sion Is constantly exposed 10 IT, It's foreign pol
/ lev is of necessity weak, and its negotiations
| are conducted with disadvantage because IL IL
| not In a condition to enforce the terms dictated
| by its sense of right and justice.
patriotic citizens that the day Is not far distant
| when our navy will DO such as Dents our
standing among the nations of the earth, and
reioiced at every step that leads in the direction
| OF such contamination, deem IL my duty 10
| especially direct the attention of Congress TO
| the close OF the report of the Secretary OF the
| Navy in which the humiiating features OF ths
present organization of this department il ex-
| hibited, and the startling abuses and the waste
| of its present methods are exposed. The con-
| yiction in forced upon u.s. with the certainty OF
| mathematical demonstration that before we
| proceed further in the restoration OF navy, we
need thoroughly recognized Navy Depart
The fact that within seventeen years more
| than S75, 900 has been spent in construction,
| repair equipment and armament of vessels,
and the further fact that instead of an effective
! and creditable fleet, we have only the discomfort
and apprehension OF nation undefended by
| war vessels, added TO the disclosures now made,
| do not permit us to doubt that every attempt
| TO revive our navy has thus far, for the most
| part been misdirected, and all our efforts in
| that direction have been little better than blind
| groupings, and expensive, ailnless follies.
| Unquestonably il are content with the
maintenance of navy department simply as an
| ornament to the Government, n constant watch
! fulness may prevent SOME Of the scandal and
abuse which have found their way into our pres
! ent organization. and its incurable waste may
| be reduced TO the minimum. But IL we desire to
build ships for present usefulness instead Of
naval reminders of the days that are past, we
! must have u department organized for the work,
faH Will all lar
our country affords and prepared To take
advantage of the experience of other nations,
systematized SO that all efforts shall unite and
| lead in one direction and fully imbued with the
conviction that war vessels now are useless un-
less they combine all that the ingenuity Of
man has up to this day brought forth relating
| to their construction, L earnestly commend the
portion of the Secretarys report devoted TO this
subject to the action OF Congress, in the hope
that the suggestions touching the reorganization
OF his department. may be adopted as the hrst
step toward the reconstruction OF our navy,
| THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The affairs of the postal service are exhibited
by the report of the Postmaster General, which
will be laid before you. The postal revenue,
| whose rates of gain upon therising prosperity OF
1882 and 1888 outstripped the increasing eX-
pense Of our growing service, was checked by
the reduction in the rate Of letter postage which
took effect with the beginning of October in the
! Inter year, and 1t diminished during Tire
two fiscal years S2,7Je,00J, in the pro-
portion of 81 27J 900 in 1884 to $50 900 in 1885.
| Natural growth and development have, i'll the
deficiency in the revenue to the expenses OF the
department of So $50, 900 for the year 1884, and
s. 1888, $685. in the last fiscal year. The an
| ticipated and natural revival OF the revenue
has been oppressed and retarded by the
| unfavorable business condition of the country,
of which the postal service is u faithful indi-
Gator The gratifying fact is shown, however,
| by the report, that our returning prosperity Is
marked by gain of S3S00OO in the revenue
Of the latter half of the last year over the
corresponding period OF the preceding year.
| The change in the rate of first-class matter
which may be carried fer n single rate of post
age from a half-ounce TO an ounce, Md the re-
! duction by one-half of the rate Of newspaper
postage, which, under recent legislation, begun
| with the current year, will operate to restrain
the augmentation OF receipts which otherwise
| might have been expected to such n degree that
the scale of expense may gain upon the revenue
and cause an increased deficiency 10 be shown
ut its close; yet after no long period of rewak-
| ened prosperity, by proper economy, 1T is conh-
| IDENTIFY anticipated that even the present low
rates, now favorable any country affords,
will DO adequate 10 sustain the cost of the
service
The operation of the Postofiice Department is
for the convenience and benefit Of the people,
and the method by which they pay the charges
of this useful arm Of the public service, SO that
it be just and impartial, is of less Importance
10 them than the economical expenditure OF the
means they provide for its maintenance and the
due improvement OF its agencies, SO that they
may ENJOY its highest usefulness. proper at
tention has been directed to the prevention OF
waste or extravaganza, and good results appear
from the reports TO have already been accom-
plished.
DOMESTIC MONEY ORDERS.
l approve the recommendation OF the Post
master General to reduce the charges on domes
tic money orders of - and less from 10 cents
This change viii materially aid those of oul
people who, most of all, avail themselves OF this
Insuumentality, but TO whom the element OF
cheapness is of the greatest Importance. With
this reduction the system would still remain
self-supporting.
THE FREE-DELIyERY SYSTEM
hnG aNfar a nil Il
during the year, and LIS now enjoy its
conveniences. Experience has commended
it to those who enjoy its benefits, and
further enlargement OF its facilities is due
to other communities to which IL is adapted
IN the cities whore it has been established
| taken together, the local postage exceeds its
maintenance by nearly 81 300 900. The limit e
which this system is confined by law has
been nearly reached, and the reasons given
justify the extension which is proposed.
FoREIGN-MAIL SERVICE.
IL was decided, with my appreciation after q
sufficient examination, 20 be inexpedieni
for the PostOfhce Department TO contract
for carrying our foreign mails under the addi
tional authority given by the last Congress.
The amount limited was inadequate TO pay all
within tho purview OF tho law the full rate ol
80 cents per mile, and il would have been unjust
AMI unwlse to have given IL some and denied il
IL TO others, Nor could contracts have been LEI
under the law To all ut IL rate 20 have brought
the aggregate within tho appropriation without
such practical pre-arrangement of terms "a
would have violated It, The rate of sea and in.
statute clearly appears 10 be fair compensa.
tion for the desired service being three times
the price necessary TO secure transportation by
other vessels upon any route and much beyond
the charges made to private persons for services
not less Cumbersome.
Some of the steamship companies, upon the
refusal of the Postmaster General TO attempt
by the means provided, the distribution of the
sum appropriated, withdrew the services OF
their vessels, and thereby occasioned SLIGHT
inconvenience, though considerable in
jury. The mails have been dispatched
by other means. Whatever may be thought
of the policy of subsidizing any line 81
public conveyance or travel, / am satisfied that
IL should not be done under cover of an expendi-
ture incident to the administration of n depart
ment, nor should there be any uncertainty as ia
the recipients of the subsidy any discretion left
to executive officer TO its distribution.
If such gifts Of public money are TO be made for
tho purpose of aiding any enterprise in the sup
posed interest of the public, L cannot but think
that the amount 10 be paid and the beneficiary
might better be determined by Congress than ia
any other way.
THE POSTAL UNION.
The International Congress OF delegates from
the postal union countries convened at Lisbon,
ina Portugal in February last, and after SEES
sion of some weeks the delegates signed a con-
vention amendatOry Of the present Postal Union
Convention in some particulars designed 10 I'D
vance its purposes. This additional act has had
my approval, ahd will be laid before you with
the departmental reports.
1 approve the recommendation Of the Post
master General that another assistant be pro-