The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-12-16

OF the dockets of the. courts well-fIled with pri-
vate suits and OF tue fierce allowed the District
| Attorney, no greater than is necessary for the
| ordinary and current business OF his office,
! these revenue litgations cannot be considered
| In default OF the adoption by Congress OF "A
plan for the general reorganization OF the
Federal courts, as has heretofore been recon-
mendel urge the pr'pr city OF passing n law
! permitn ~ the aPpontm mt OF an additional
| Federal Judge in the district whore These Gov
ornmsnt suits have accumulated. so that by con-
tinued sessions Of the courts devoted 70 the trial
| those cases NAV be determined Ii is entire
| " plain that a great saving To the government
would be accomplished by such a remedy, and
| the suitors VINO have honest claims would not
be deni,d justice through delay.
| THE ARMY.
| The report OF tho Secretary OF War gives de-
tailed account OF tho administration OF his de-
| partment, and contains sundry recommends
tons for the improvement OF the service, which
| / fully approve The army consisted at the date
| OF the last consolidated return 81 2 1913 officers
ana 2i0iG enlisted men. The expenses OF the
department. for the last hseal year were
ESQ 0Jl Ok. 70. including So. Oj - for public
/ works and river ann harbor Improvements /
especially direct tho nttent on Of Congress
| TO the accommodation thu officers be required
20 submit TO an eXainination as reiminary
! TO their promotion. / see 10 objection but
many advantages in adopting this feot1re.
which Las operated s. bonehcially in our Navy
Department as well as IN some branches Of the
army. -
The subject OF coast defen and fortilca-
| lions had been fully and carefully treated by
the Board on Fortihcations, whose report was
|
no construction work Of the kind recommended
| by the Board has been possibl during the last
| year from the lack OF appropriations for such
| purpose. The defenseless condition Of our sea-
! coast and lake frontier is perfectly palpable;
the examinations made must convince us ali
that certain OF our cities named III
the report OF the board should be for
! tilted, and that work on the most i'm
portant OF these Notifications should be
thoroughly considered ond laid out, the Secre-
tary OF War reports, but ali is delayed in de-
] a. 4. aaNsa OH n1rsea
! necessity, Judged by all standards OF prudence
and foresight OF our preparation for au etfectual
/ resistance against the armored ships and steel
/ gnns and mortars OF modern construction which
| NAV threaten the cities on our coasts, is so
| apparent that hope effective steps viii be
| taken in thnt direction Immediately The
| valuable and suggestive treatment OF this ques-
! tion by the Secretary Of War is earnestly COM
mended to the consideration Of Congress.
THE APACHE WAR.
In September and October last the hostile
! Apachies, who, under the leadership Of Geron-
! imo had for eighteen months been on the war
| path. and during that time had committed
| many murders and been the cause OF constant
terror to the settlers Of Arizona, surrendered to
! General Miles, the military commander who
succeeded General Crook in the management
| and direction Of their pursuit. Crdcr the terms
! of their surrender rs then ropJrted, and in view
of the understanding which this murderous
| savage seemed to entertain of the assurances
given them, it was considered best
as TO prevent their ever engaging in such out
1 RACES again instead or trying them for murder.
| Fort IlckenB having Deen selected ms n SAFE
place OF confinement, all the adult males were
sent thither. and will be closely guarded as
prisoners. In the meantime the residue Of the
band who, though Still remaining upon the
/ reservation, We're regarded unsafe and sus-
! pected Of furnishing aid 10 those on the war;
| uatb had b. en- removed To Fort Marion The
! women and larger children of the hostiles were
| also taken there, and arrangements have been
made for putting the children of proper age in
Indian schools.
THE wAR-vEssELs.
| The report of the Secretary of the Navy con-
| tains detailed report of the condition OF his
department, with such a statement of the action
| needed 70 improve the same as should challenge
/ the earnest attention of Congress. The present
navy OF the United States, aside from the ships
/ in course of construction, consists of: First,
fourteen sing c-turreted monitors, none OF which
are N commission nor at the present time
! iceable. The batteries of these ships obso-
] lete and they can only be relied upon as auxil-
larry ships in harbor defense, and then after such
an expenditure upon them ss might not be
| deemed iustihable. Second. five fourth-rate
vessels of small tonnage, only enc of which was
/ designed as Il war vessel, and all Of which are
auxiliary merely. Third, twenty seven cruising
ships three Of which are built of iron and of
small tonnage and twenty-four of wood. OF
these wooden vessels it is estimated by the
| chief constructor of the navy that only three
| viii be serviceable beyond period of six years,
at which time it may be sRid that of the present
naval force nothing worthy the name will re-
| MAN,
! f,All the vessels heretofore authorized are uu-
der contract or in course Of construction,
cept the armored ships, the torpedo dynamite
boats. ana one crusier. AS to the last OF these,
! the bids were in excess Of tue limit fixed by
Congress.
ARMoR AND Gun STEEL
! The production in the United States Of armor
and gun steel is q question which it seems
necessary TO settle ut an early day, il the
| arlnored war vessels arc 10 b completed with
those materials Of home manufacture This
/ has been the subject of invest cation by
! two boards and by two special commit
tees OF Congress within the last three
years. The report of the Gun Foundry Board
! in lss4 OF the Board of Fortifcotions made in
| ioat nT11t z,nf aa1ac
mittees OF the two houses made at the last ses-
sion Of Congress have entirely exhausted the
| subject so fur as preliminary investigation is
| involved, aud in their accommodation they are
/ substantially agreed.
In the event that the present invitation OF
| the department. for bids TO furnish such of this
| material as is now authorized shall fail to
induce domestic manufacturers to under
! take the large expenditures required to
prepare fer this new manufacture, and
no other steps are taken by Congress Mt its COM
| ing session, the Secretary contemplates with
! abroad the armor and the gun steel r the
| authorized ships. II would seem desirable that
/ the wants OF the amy and the navy in this re-
| gard should be reasonably met, and that by
| uniting their contracts such inducement might
be offered as would result in secur ne the do
mestication OF these important interests.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The affairs of the postal service show marked
and gratifying improvement during the past
| year. y particular account of its transactions
and condition is given in the report OF the
| Postmaster General, which will be laid before
/
age in 's] rendering the postal revenues inade-
! quate 70 sustain the expenditures, and business
depression also contributing, resulted in an
| excess of cost for the fiscal year ended June
| 80, 1855, OF eight and one-third millions Of
| dollar. An additional check upon receipts by
doubling the measure Of weight in rating sealed
correspondence, and diminishing one-half
! the chargs for newspaper carriage, was inn
posed by legislation which took effect with the
! beginning of the past fiscal year; while the
constant demand of our territorial develop
| ment and growing population for the extension
| and increase of mail facilities and machinery
| necessitate steady annual advance in outlay.
| The careful estimate of year ago upon the
| rates Of expenditure then existing contem-
plated the unavoidable augmen tation of tho de-
| ficiency in the last fiscal year by nearly two
! millions OF dollars. The anticipated revenue
for the last year failed Of realization by about
| $1,000, but proper measures Of economy have
so satisfactorily limited tho growth Of expendi-
lures that the total deficiency in fact fell be-
| low that Of 1SS and at that time the increase
OF revenueis in gaining ratio over the increase
| OF cost, demonstrating the sufficency OF the
| present rates OF postage ultimately to sustain
the service. This is the more pleasing because
our people enjoy now both cheaper postage,
proportionately to Distances and vaster and
more costly service than any other upon the
| globe