Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-01
MIR. CLEVELAND'S FUTURE
He Will Go to Europe in June
 to Travel for a Year.
SECRETARY WHITNEY's REPORT.
Present Condition and Future Outlook of Our Navy Its Present Progress Re- viewcd--Inaugural Preparations - Rail- road Mileage of the Country.

 viewed-Inaugural Preparations Rail- road Mileage of the Country.
 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The Star says: 1.-The people who have been engaged in map ping out Mir. Cleveand's future for him when he shall have ceased to be president can now base their prognostications on something tangible. On undoubte1 and indisputable authority it can be stated that MT. and Mrs. Cleveland will go abroad very shortly after they bid farewell to the White House The programme as at present arranged calls for the departure of the ex-president and his wife early in June. France is to be the first country visited and then Great Britain will be explored. Mrs. Cleveland has always been anxious to make a trip to Norway and Swe- den, and it is more than probable that they will journey there in August Italy and Spain will be the next countries in the tour and if Mrs. Cleveland can only convince the ex-president that Italy is desirable land in Which to spend a few months, the couple will stay through the winter at San Remo or Nice"
 CONDITION OF THE NAVY.
 Secretary Whitney, in his annual report after presenting brief review of the condi- tion of tho navy as it will exist on the 4th of next March in comparison with the same on the 4th of March, 1888, says: ''So far as armored ships are concerned, the subject Is yet to be treated in a broad way by the de- partment and congress- As a result of the policy adopted and carried out during the past thres years, the conditions at the present i,na the secretary says, such that every thing necessary to a first class fighting ship can be produced and furnished to the depart ment in this country as soon as in the course of construction any element or feature IS required: but this has never, heretofore, until the present time, been true, and there fore the consideration of the subject has been necessarily postponed by the depart ment until the present time.
 The eff orts of the department in ship con- struction have necessarily, since March, 1888, been devoted to unarmored vessels, and as to these the department is able to report that when the ships in course of construction and those authorized shall have been com pleted the United States will rank second among the nations in the possession of un- armored cruisers or ''commerce deStroyers," |" having the highest characteristics of size 5000 tons and upwards, and possessing speed of nineteen knots and upward.
 The importance the secretary says, which has been placed upon this branch of naval armament will be appreciated from the state ment that England and France possess sixty five vessels of the class known as unarmored cruisers. The attention of the world was at tracted to the destructive effect which was produced upon the commerce or the On1Ceu States by the cruisers fitted out under the auspices of the Confederacy in the war of the rebellion. The total tonnage of regis tered vessels of the United States had risen year by year, until l,s in 1861, it amounted to 2642 CPS tons, and between 1861 and 1866 it was reduced to ,492, ,626 tons, or, in other words to the point which we had reached in 1S49 from which decline we have never re covered. The insurance risk upon Anne he in ceptional cases to as high as % per cent
 Referring to the reduction of expenses dur ing the past thirty-four years, it is claimed that the savings of the department are pay ing for the navy, and on this topic the secre- tary says: ''It is gratifying to be able to re port that, notwithstanding the large ex- penditures for the new navy in the last three years, the reduction in other directions has made the total expenditures of the depart ment less for those years than for three years ending June 30, 1884, the ordinary expenses of the department having been reduced over % per cent"
 A table is included in the report, which shows that the expenditures for the years ending June 30, 1882, 1883 and 1884, were s47, 7,979, ,397, and for the years ending June 80, lSS6, 1887 and 1888, S46, $50, ,630.
 Discussing coast and harbor defenses, Sec retary Whitney says: "In the last annua report of the department the consideration; were given leading to the conclusion that il would be unwise for the department to fol low the course of the European powers 1T building unprotected torpedo boats, and 1T the present uncertainty regarding the prac ticability of submarine boats, and whil. waiting the practical trial of the dyna mite gunboat, it has been deemed wise for thu department to build one light draught, heav fly armored, harbor defense floating battery or ram, for which designs have been pre- pared
 RAILROAD MILEAGE.
 The annual report of the interstate com merce commission places the railroad mileage ! of the country on June 30, 1888, at 152, 7S1, o which 2,Sl3 miles had been completed an, brought into operation within the si; months preceding that day. The railwa, construction in 1886 was S,471 miles; in 1SS it was +, ,6SS mies~ The number of corpora tions represented in the mileage is 1 ,251, bu by reason of leases or other contract arrange ments many corporations hold control of an operate one or more roads owned by othe corporations, and the whole number makin reports of operations at the date named wa 665
 INAUGURAL ARRANGEMENTS.
 A contract has been signed by Gen. Black commissioner of pensions, and Chairman Britton for the use of the pension buildin for Inaugural purposes. This contract is t be approved by the secretary of the intel riol Under its terms the committee is to hay # the use of the main hall of the pension build ing for decoration purposes as soon as the, may wish to begin the work. The rooms i the building which the committee may d, sire to use will be available on the Saturda breceding March f. An employe of tl office. detailel by the commissioner, wi have charge of each room
 The inaugural committee is in receipt letters from different parts of the countr, stating the advantages the inaugural proce sion would derive from the presence of ce tain individuals. It is generally added ths these individuals have not the means to pa their expenses, and the suggestion is mad that the committee furnish the requis1, means In reply to all such letters, the con nittee states that while 1t would be glad have the persons named present, and will q all in its power to secure for them comfor abls quarters in this city, yet there are I funds available to meet expenses of tn