The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-12-13

"a DECEM BEN ID, 1000
safe ana more economcai II the coin were
in actual circulation instead OF being heti
by the Government on pledge against out
standing certificates, as - now the case But
whatever may be thought about the WISDOM 81
the certificate system there can be no doubt
that with il the further coinage OF gold and sill
yer, except subsidiary coin, ID not necessary or
wise. Future accumulation OF the precious
metals should be only in the form OF bullion,
wiz ch can be kept more safely ana counted
more easily than the coin. II this suggestion
was adopted all but one of our mints might be
closed, and large, useless expense DC saved AN
nualiv.
PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS REVIEWED.
The Secretary reviews former recommends.
tfons for the remedying OF important defects IN
the customs laws which render IT practically
impossible to correct many evils and nequali-
ties Which, have long affected the system.
1t Is gratifying TO be able to show further
reduction in the percentage cost OF collecting
the customs revenue: during the past year Y
was 294 per cent. |; for the year 1855 il was 3..7
per cent. renew the recommendation made
last year. and repeatedly made by my brede-
cessors, for the consolidation OF customs DIS
tricts and the abolition OF useless customs es-
adjustments
FOREIGN COMMERCE
The total value OF the imports and exports OF
the last fiscal year. when compared with that
Of the fiscal year 1887, shows an increase q
The value Of our exports OF domestic mer-
chandise during the last fiscal year were less
than that Of 1887 by sl9, l6o.sia.
The total value of the imports OF merchan.
disc increased from So, ,3l?s6s in 1881 TO fss3-
9J1. ia in 1883, being an increase OF s3lt3a.3io,
or 4 per cent, of which sasU,ssi represents
the increase In the value OF free merchandise,
and S2l.7s6,s62 the increase in the value OF
dutiable imports.
The principal changes In duties collected on
articles and classes OF articles imported was an
increase in the duty collected on manufactures
OF wool: fax, hemp, Iute, and manufactures OF;
silk, manufactures of: manufactures OF IRON;
and potatesi and falling of in the duty col
lected on imports OF sugar, molasses and con-
feet onery. raw wool and lrcn ore
For the year 1881 the total vaiues OF imported
articles entered for consumption was $i5D, ,325.-
3s.55, the duty collected being ssis. $50.
Our foreign commerce, carried in vessels OF
the United States, measured by Its value, has
less than Il per cent. in 1883. Even or this
small percentage only 53 per cent. was carried
in steam vessels bearing our flag.
IMMIGRATION STATISTICS.
The receipts OF capitation tax for the year
ending June 30. 1888, were aasi. 1880. The eS-
pendtures on account of Immigration dur n &
the year were sl59, S36.l 10. The total number of
State, by steam or sail vessels from foreign
countries other than the Dominion Of
Canada and Mexico. during the year
ending June 3D. 1883, was a61.5i0, Of
which number Is were tourists or aliens not
intending to stay in the United States. In the
year ending June 10, 1889, the total number OF
immigrants arriving az the various ports was
LIS were returned for the following causes: ]:
Convicts, l5: lunatlcs, s3: idiots, 10: i'atle to
become public charges. Lull.
NAVIGATION.
The Bureau OF Navigation reports q small
increase during the last fiscal year i'll the tom
mage Of the country, arising from the bu lding
Of vessels, chiefly for the coasting trade. The
tonnage lnilt during the previous year was
80 $50 tons, while that built during the past
year was 2lS,0Sd tons, comparing fayorably, ac-
cording to the. statistics available. with the
amount built during that time in Aastria; Bel
gium, Denmark France, Germany. the Neither.
lands, Italy, Russia and Sweden combined. Tho
amounts in either ease however are small as
compared with the tonnage built i'll the United
Kingdom, where, on the 3Oth OF June. 1855, 81
vessels Of Cos lis tons gross, were under con-
struct.on. 1t is useless to expect any material
increase in the building OF iron and steel steam
vessels in this country for the foreign trade
under present conditions. Were all the &c.
strictions OF the tariff removed, the business
would still be hampered by the higher COST 81
the completed vessel as compared with the cx-
pense OF similar snip built upon the Clyde or
ut Belfast.
INTERNAL REVENUE RECE PTS.
The receipts from the several objects OF in
terna. taxation during the last two fiscal years.
as reported by the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, are as follows:
OBJECTS fissa. year ended Jaas so
OF TAXATION. IsS. 1883.
Distilled spirits. SIS ssa 81 Il st9. soa 10; II
! iian-afactured II
to0accO. ......... 30 10S. .061 ID &c, 0,6G2 All 30
Fer IN ted llq-
uors ........... al,ss2. ls7 40 as.saa.als 4s
Oleomargarsne.. 80, ,94S Ol st4.i3 ~
| Bank circulation. Ass 81 4.2bs 81
Penalties, etc. IN. 2u4 S3 15J,5lt I'll
Collect ons under
repealed laws. .a.,ss IL a,s6s 81
4-------@--
Total ...sl sis 81. .,]i o. SiaI ast 4.5 81
The cost OF collecting the internal revenue
/ was reduced during this year from 81, the cost
for the year 1ss7. to less than 81. The report
recommends the passage Of . law to provide
fer remuneration IT, officers for losses incurred
In the suppression OF Illicit distilation, and re-
| news the recommendation to amalgamate the
internal revenue and customs systems. there.
/ by reducing the number OF officers and the ex-
pense OF collecting the entire revenues. Refer
ence is made TO the suggestions of the Com.
missioner OF Internal Revenue in his annual
| report.
NONPARTIsAN CIVIL SERVICE
| Almost all of the subordinate service Of this
department is now appointed under the civil
/ service system OF rules. But also five impor.
| tant branches OF the Treasury Department Are
/ In large measure removed from political in.
! 1uences, and yet are1not under what Is tcchni
cally known as the Civil Service syst M They
are the costs and geodetc survey life saving
/ service, the revenue marine. the marine hos
pital service. and the lighthouse serv ce.
Much has been gained in this regard IN all oi
the past three years, and II their administra
| iion continues to be conducted in the present
spirit it Will be OF benefit TO the country.
| PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
/ During the year work was commenced or
/ nineteen new buildings, and upon three build
/ ings where extensive repairs We're specially
appropriated for. OF the new buildings com
menced, seven were provided for by legislation
OF the session Of the Congress just closed, and
| but for the fact that many OF the appropria
tons have only lately become available.
greater number OF buildings would have beer
under way.
Work has been SO actively prosecuted ant
such satisfactory terms secured. that OF III.
| seventy-iye buildings under construction dur
ing the past year. nineteen have been com
! pleted, with every indication that before tht
| close OF the calendar year, this number will bt
| increased to twenty-three, and. under the terms
OF existing contracts, fourteen more will b.
! completed before the close OF the current fisca
| year, making in all thirty bu ldings tha
| Will be completed before June 30, 1889.
| The most active competition IN bidding ha
been secured by greater publicity given Il
the advertisements, and in enlisting the co
| operation of the building exchanges through
out the country. The work on all the build
lngs now under construction has been adaptes
to the limits OF the cost placed by Congress
and unless some incident now unforeseen
| arises no request viii be made for deficienc,
appropriations for the prosecution OF work.
ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.
The work turned out by the Bureau OF I'm
craving and Printing during the last fiscal yea
exceeded the production OF any previous yea
in its history. There were printed and dehv
cred to the various offices by which they ar
4
OF j, ,3sS 81 over the production OF 1887 and tx
ceeding the output of any former year b,
/ ALTO. 23s sheets. COMPARISON of the result
for the three years ending June 3D. 1883, Will
those for the three preceding fiscal years
shows an increase In production of 5,5al33
sheets OF securities, and decrease in cxpens,
of a5I0, Soa.lS OF the appropriations made 70
the support OF the bureau for the last fOu
years, balances amounting TO s270 osi hay,
been returned to the Treasury unused.
There were printed during the last year :, ls..
000 sheets OF silver certificates of the series o
1856. Ofthis amount I'll, 3Os, 900 consisted of i
certificates and So 81, ,OOJ OF ~ certificates. II
October 81, 1873, there had been delivered to III
Treasurer OF the United States S,065a.OuD III
certificates and Saa 31I, 900 in I. certificates.
MISCELLANEOUS.
For the prevention OF the spread Of dis
ease from one State to another, fumigatiol
and inspection stations were established b.
regulations OF August II, which have require
little moditicat on to the present time. 1t is m
opinion that Interstate commerce should be )
regulated as to strip railroads and other com
mon carriers OF their power 10 convey dseas
from one State to another, and ihat the .resu
latiops to be framed in accordance with sue
law should be enforced by National aat hor ~
! The report also includes u resume OF the op
eratfons OF the revenue-marine service, tn
rSgx