Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-12-16

constant advance in une art OF build
ing vessels of this character, and
the time is not lost which is spent
in their careful consideration and SELECTION
All must admit the Importance OF an elf4cGlVe
navy to nation like ours, having such ain eX-
tended sea coast to protect Yet we have not O.
single vessel of war that could keep the seas
against first-class vessel of any 1mpqrGant
power. Such condition ought not londe TO
continue. The nation That can noS resist ag8re
sion is constantly exposed to it. Its foreign pol
icy is of necessity weak, and its neGoo14tlols
conducted with disadvantage because it IS
not in condition to enforce the terms DICTATED
by it's sense of right and justice.
Inspired as I am by the hope, shared ply all
patriotic citizens that the day is not far distant
when our navy will be such BELTS our
standing among the nations of the earth, and
rejoiced at every step that leads in the dlr9c6lon
OF such contamination, deem it my dilJy TO
especially direct the attention of Congress to
the close Of the report of the Secretary OF the
Navy in which the humiliating features OF the
present organization of this department ls eX-
hibited, and the startling abuses and the waste
of its present methods are exposed The con-
viction is forced upon us, with the certainty OF
mathematical demonstration, that before we
proceed further in the restoration of q navy, we
need O. thoroughly recognized Navy Depart
ment.
The fact that within seventeen years more
than SIS, 600 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 tho discPntont
and apprehension of nation und3fended by
vessels, added to the disclosures now made,
do not permit US to doubt that every attempt
to revive our navy has thus far, for Gh$ most
part been misdirected, and all our effofts in
that direction have been little better than blind
groupings, and expensive aimleSs follieS.
Unquestonably if we are content with the
maintenance of q navy department simply as an
ornament to the Government q constant Watch
fulnesS may pre- Mt some OF the scandal and
abuse which have found their way into out pres
ent organization, and its incurable waste may
be reduced to the minimum But if we desire to
build ships for present usefulness instead of
naval reminders of the days that are past, we
must have department. organized for tho work,
supplied with all the latest and best ingenuity
our country affords and prepared Cd take
advantage of the experience of other nptlons,
systematized SO that all efforts shall unite and
lead in one direction and fully imbued with 5he
conviction that war vessels now are useless I'M
less they combine all that the ingenuity of
man has up to this day brought forth rblsting
to their construction, L earnestly CONNIE nd the
portion of the Secretary's report devoted ito this
subject to the action of Congress, in TIL hope
that the suggestions touching the reorganization
of his department. may be adopted as The first
step toward the reconstruction of our navy,
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The affairs of the postal service are exhibited
by the report of the Postmaster Genera1l which
will be laid before you. The postal revenue,
whose rates of gain upon the rising 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
latter year, and it diminished during the
two fiscal years S27JO,00J, in the pro-
portion of $227J, 900 in 1884 to $4,000 i'm 1885.
Natural growth and development have, in the
meantime, increased expenditure, resulting in q
deficiency in the revenue to the expenses of the
department of S. $50, 600 for the year 1884, and
SIS, 1888 3315 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 faithful lndi-
Gator. The gratifying fact is shown, hpwevcr,
by the report, that our returning PROSPERITY is
marked by @ gain of $3.50, 900 in the revenue
of the latter half of the last year oyer the
corresponding period of the preceding year.
The change in the rate of frst-class matter
which may be carried fer single rate of post
age from half-ounce to an ounce and the re-
duction by one-half of the rate of newspaper
postage, which, under recent Legislation, begun
with the current year, will operate 10 restrain
the augmentation of receipts which otherwise
might have been expected to such degfee that
the scale of expense may gain upon the revenue
and cause an increased deficiency to be shown
at its close; yet after no long period of rewak-
ened prosperity, by proper economy it lis conf
IDENTIFY anticipated that even the present low
rates, now as favorable as any country affords
will be adequate to sustain the cost of the
service.
The operation of the Postofiice Depart anent 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 i'm bortance
to them than the economical expenditure of the
means they provide for it's maintenance and the
due Improvement of its agencies, so that they
may enjoy it's highest usefulness. A 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.
approve the recommendation Of the Post
master General TO reduce the charges on domes-
tic money orders of s. and less from to cents
This change will materially aid thosp of our
people who most of all, avail themselves of this
instrumentality, but to whom the element of
cheapness is of the greatest Importance. With
would
self-supporting.
THE FREE-DELIvERY SYSTEM
has been extended to nineteen additional cities
during the year, and 178 now enjoy its
conveniences. Experience has commended
it to those who enjoy it's benefits, and
further enlargement of its facilities is due
to other communities to which it is adapted.
In the cities where it has been established
taken together, the local postage exteeds it's
maintenance by nearly 81, 100000 The limit to
which this system is now confined by law has
been nearly reached and the reasons given
Justify the extension which is proposed
FOREIGN-MAIL SERVICE.
1t was decided with nv approbatioh, after O.
sufficient examination to be inekpedient
for the Postoffice Department to contract
for carrying our foreign mails under the addi-
tiOnal authority given by the last Congress.
The amount limited was inadequate tb pay all
within the purvieW of the law the full rate of
SO cents per mile, and it would have bed unjust
and unW1se to have given it some and denied it
it to others. Nor could contracts bGyS been let
under the law to all at a rate to have brought
the aggregate W1thln the appropriation Without
such practical pre-arrangement of terms as
would have violated it. The rate of sea and in
land postage which protfered under another
statute clearly appears to be q fair ctmpensa-
ton for the desired service, being thrice 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 burdensome.
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 occasio1Ied slight
inconvenience, though no considerable in
jury. The mails have been dispatched
by other means. Whatever may bd thought
of the policy of substituting anW line of
public conveyance or travel, am satisfied that
it should not be done under cover of an expendi-
ture incident TO the administration of depart
ment, should there be any uncertainty as to
the recipients OF the subsidy or any discretion left
to executive officer to it's distribution.
If such gifts of public money are to be made for
the purpose of aiding any enterprise III the sup
posed interest of the public, cannot but think
that the amount to be paid and the beneficiary
might better be determined by Congress than in
any other way.
THE POSTAL UNION.
The International Congress of Delegates from
the postal union countries convened DIT Lisbon
in Portugal, in February last, and after q ses-
sion of some weeks the delegates signed con-
Vention amendatory of the present Postal Union
Convention in some particulars designed to adj
vance it's DurDOSaS This additional art has had