Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-07
BOARD ON FoRrIFIcATIoNs,


| recommendation they are substantially
agreed in the event that the present invf-
| tation OF the departments for bids to furnish
such OF this material as is now authorized,
shall fail to induce domestic manufacturers
TO undertake the large expenditures re-
auired to prepare for this new manufacture.
~ no other steps are taken by Congress at
iss coming session. the Secretary contemp
laies with disaffection, the necessity of OBJ
tanning abroad the armors and the gun
steel for the authorized ships; 1t would
seem desirable that the wants of rhe army
and navy in this regard should be reasona-
bly, met, and that by uniting the Contracts
such inducement might be effected that
| would iesultln procuring the dome sticati0n
OF ot tnese important interests The affairs of
! the postal service show marked and gratify-
Ing improvement during the past year. A
particular account of its transactions and
condition is given in the report of
THE ENERAL, II
Which will be laid before you. The reduc-
| tion of the rate of letter postage in lsss
| rendering the postal revenues inadequate
to sustain the expenditures, and the busi-
ness depression also contributing. resulted
In an excess OF cost for the fiscal year ended
June 30, JSe5 of eight and one.third millions
OF dollars. An additional check upon re-
ce1pts, by doubling the measure of weight
In rating sealed correspondence and diimin-
ishing one-nalf the charge for newspaper
carriage, was imposed by legislation.
past fiscal year, while the constant demand
OF our territorial development and growing
population for the extension aud decrease
OF mail facilities and machinery necessi-
tates steady annual advance in outlays,
and the careful estimate OF year ago up0n
the rates of expenditure then existing con-
templated the augmentation of the def
cenSy %Syns IN IN the laSt fiscal year BY nearly two
nue. for the last year failed of realization By
apout so4,oO0. but proper measures of econo-
my nave satisfactt Fly limited the growth
OF expenditure so tnat the total deiciency,
In fact, fell below that of 1856 and at this
time the increase of revenue is in gaining
rates over the increase of cost, dem0nstraf-
Ing the suihciency of the present rates of
postage ultimately to sustain the service.
This is the more pleasing because our peO-.
pie enjoy now both cheaper postage, pro-
portionately to distances, and vaster and
more costly service than any other on the
tne cost OF supplies, sole expenditures un-
Warranted by law have ceased, and the
outlays for mail carriage have been sub
lected to Dene 1cial scrutiny. At the close
OF the last fiscal wear the expense for
TRANSFORMATIONS ON THE STAR ROUTE
Stood to an annual rate of cost less by over
$3.50 900 than at the close of the previous year.
and steamboat aud mail messenger service
at nearly 100000 less. The service has been
in the meantime enlarged and extended by
of routes, of carriage expansion, of carrier
delivery conveniences, aud additions to the
railway mail facilities in accordance with
the growing exigencies of the country aud
ment. The Postmaster General calls atten-
tfon to the existing law for compensattng
railroads, and expresses the opinion that
method may be devised which will prove
more Just TO the carriers and beneficial to
the Government. The subject sppears
worthy OF your early consideration. The
differences which arose during the year
with certain OF the steamship companies
nave terminated by the acquiescence Of all
in the policy of the Government as approved
by Congress in the postal appropriation at
Its last session, and the department now en-
joys the utmost service afforded by all ves-
sells which sail from our ports upon either
ocean-a service generally adequate to the
needs of our intercourse. Petitions have,
however, been presented to the department
by numerous merchantsand manufacturers
for tie establishment of direct service to
the Argentine Republic and for
sEMI-MoNTHLY DISPATCHES To THE EMPIRE
OF BRAZIL
And the objects commended to your con-
sideration. 1t is an obvious duty to provide
the means of postal com nunication which
our commerce requires. The wise exten
sion of it may lead to stimulating inter-
course and become the harbinger of a
profitable traffic which will open new ave-
U
our industry. The circumstance Of the
countries at the far south of our ,ntinent
are such as to invite orr enterprise, and
tfford the promise of sufficient advantages
to justify an unusual effort to bring about
the closer relations which greater freedom
OF communication would establish 1 sug-
gest that, as distinguished from grant OF
subsidy for the mere benefit of any line of
trade or travel, whatever outlay may be re-
quired to secure additional postal service
necessary and proper and not otherwise OBJ
tainabe, should be regarded az within the
limit OF legitimate compensation for such
service.
THE EXTENSION OF THE FREE DELIVERY
SERVICE,
AS suggested by the Postmaster General.
heretofore received my sanction. and it is
to be hoped suitable enactment will soon
be agreed upon. The request for an appro-
priatiion suffi lent to enable the general in
specton OF fourth class Off es has my ap-
probation. renew my approval OF the
recommendation of the Postmaster General
that another assistant be provided for the
Postofhce department., and invite your
attention 1to the several other recon- mem
dations in his report. The
CONDUCT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
For the last fiscal year is fully detailed in
the report of the Attorney General and I
invite the earnest attention of the Congress
recommendations therein contained In
the report submitted by this officer to the
last session of the Congress he strongly
recommended the erection OF pc niten-
tiary for the confinement of prisoners con-
victed and sentenced in the United States
courts, and he repeats the recommendation
in this report for the last year. This is a
matter of very great Importance and should
at once receive Congressional action.
United States prisoners are now confined in
more than thirty different state prisons and
penitentiaries, situated in every part OF the
country. They are subjected to nearly as
many different modes OF treatment and dis
cipline, and are far too much removed
from the CONT oil and regulation of the gov
ernment so far as
THEY ARE ENTITLED TO HUMANE TREATMENT
And an opportunity for improvement and
reformation. The Government is RESPONSE
BILE to them and society that these things
| are forthcoming, but this duty can scarcely
be discharged without more absolute con-
troll and discretion than it is possible under
the present system Many of our good citi-
zens have interested themselves. with the
best beneficial results, on the question of
prison reform. The general government
should be in situation, since there must
| be United States prisoners, to furnish i'm
| portant aid in this movement and should
| be able to illustrate what may be practic-
| ally donein the direction Of this reform and
to present an example in the treatment and
| improvement of its prisoners. Were they
of imitation with the prisons under Its own
| control the Government could deal with the
| somewhat vexed
QUESTION OF CONVICT LABOR,
| So far as its convicts were concerned, ac-
cording to plan OF its own adoption, and
| with due regard OF right and the interests
of our laboring citizens. instead of some
| times aiding in the operation of a system
which causes among them Irritation and
discomfort; So on consideration of this sub
| ject it might be thought Sc to erect more
than one of these institutions, located in
such places as would best subserve the pur-
pose of convenience aud economy in trans
portation. The considerable cost of main
| tanning these convicts, as at present In State
institutions. would be saved by the adop-
tion OF the plan proposed and by employing
them in the manufacture of such articles as
napded fpr INV ha