Telegram-herald., 1889-11-26
OUR ARMY.
It's Needs SCI Forth IN the Report
OF Secretary Proctor.
AFFAIRS OF TIE MAR DEPARTMENT.
A Reorganizaflon and Increase ia Foros
OF the Army Urged NJ sssity Of
Coast Defeusss MF- Cl4r Sson Re
ports o. the Postal service.

PRoCI0Bs ANNUAL REPORT
WAsHINoroN. Roy. Secretary
Proct0rs report Of TIE operations Of -
War Department has been given 70 tie
press. The expenditure Of the depart
ment for the year ended June 80, 1883,
were SD, 654, l2l, and the appropriations
for the current year s33.9sg, 80, the re-
duction being mainly due 10 the decrease
OF the appropriation To- rivers ana har-
bors. The estimates for the year ending
June 80, 1891. amount 70 s44, 49,
and contingent expenses. s2.OlS.650
military establishment, So. 403, las
public works, ST, 100, l84; miscellaneous,
So O4O. The recommendations Of
General Schoaeld that the army be Re-
organizes and increased 10 the full
limit Of 80. 900 men Is concurred IN. The
present strength Of the army IS placed
at $4,000 men, being one man
10 every 2, 800 of population. At
tention is called 70 the increasing num-
Der OF officers incapacitated for actlys
service who are waiting for vacancies on
the retired list The average number
during the last six years is thirty-seven.
They draw full pay while rendering nc
service, and other deserving o--cers are
kept out of their promotions. The Sec
retary recommends that the limit of
officers on the retired list be increased
from 400 10 450 or that an act be passed
authorizing the special retirement OF
fifty officers.
A large portion of the report is de-
voted to desertions from the army. The
Secretary says the remedy for the evil
is to make the service worth seeking,
and TO this end recommends increasing
the pay of non-commissioned officers to
that Of the same grade in the engineers,
the establishment of post schools where
soldiers can be better fitted for civil life,
provision for short-term re-enlistments
at posts where a soldier is discharged,
and making the code of punishment less
arbitrary and more certain.
If the recommendations either for the
reorganization of the army or for the re-
lief of the limited retired list are favor
ably acted upon, quite a number of Sec
ond Lieutenants Will be required
than the graduating class at West Point
and the annual contingent Of non-com-
missioned officers recommended and APP
pointed under the present law will sup
ply-and the appointment OF a limited
number OF Second Lieutenants from civil
life is recommended.
The need of coast defense is urged,
and the secretary submits as basis 10
start from that no time is 10 be lost in
placing the capital of the country, the
commercial metropolis on the Atlantic
seaboard, and at least one port on the
Pacific in the best possible state of de-
fense.
POSTAL STATISTICS.
WAsHINGToS, Nov. 25.--The annual
report of First Assistant Postmaster
General J. S. Clarkson shows that 2,77O
fourth-class post-offices were established
during the last fiscal year, as against
1864 established during the previ-
Gus year. The number discontinued
was 1,147, making the total num-
Der in operation on July 1, 1889,
$500, of which number 2,6s3 were
Presidential. The whole number Of
appointments of postmasters for the year
is shown to have been 0O30, of which
1854 were on designations and commits.
sions expired, 1858 on removals, 553 on
deaths of postmasters and ?, 40 on estab-
lishment of pOst-offices. The mum Der OF
money-order Offices in operation a. the
close of the fiscal year was s,5s3, an in
crease of 472 for the year; money-ordel
~ Z 81
note Offices 557.
On June 80, 1882 there were 401 fire.
delivery post-offices in operation, ar
increase of forty-three for the year. In
about forty-fve other Offices the fres-de
livery service has been established
since June 80, 1859. The number O,
carriers in the service on July /, 1889
was s.257. an increase Of 1911 over the
previous year This large increase. IL Is
said, is mainly due 70 the enactment ot
the law limiting the labor Of carriers
to eight hours day.
The number OF pieces OF mail msttei
handled b. carriers during the year wa
3.Os5 sos. $40. an increase Of nearly ass.
600, COZ pieces. The amount received
for local postage was over 50. 800. 900, az
incres-e for the wear Of nearly 6. 600.
600 The excess Of postage on 10 .
matter over the total cost Of the sarvic.
was s2.57s.97e, an increase over tk'
n-evious wear Of Sz-o.e47.
coronel 7 ? Rates sunerin.anden
os.so a-5olfvo-v evsta-, bas -aoo-,
r.e-so5 - General Cia-kso, tha ev+an
49, of .ra cerv1oa - AL ri s-as v-h-ri
80 nonnlation q = 600 +he nost-ofRo