The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-10

mali carrying steamships.
Eight thousand miles Of new postal SER
the railroads. The car distribution
to ~substations In the great cities
has been increased about y per cent, while
the percentage Of errors IN distributing
during the past year has beon reduced over
one-hah
An appropriation was given by the last
congress for the purpose OF making some
cities and towns. The results OF these expe =
nents have been 50 satisfactory that the POss-
master General recommends, aud l concur
Ia the recommendation that the free delivery
system be at once extended TO towns OF 300
population. His discussion Of the inadequate
facilities extended under our present sys-
TEN to rural communities and his sugges-
tons with a view co give these communities
fuller participation in the benefits of the
postal service are worthy Of your careful
consideration. It is not just that the
farmer who receives his mail at a neigh-
boring town should not only be compelled
to send to the postotiice for it, but to pay a
considerable rent for a box in which to
place it, or 10 wait his turn at general de-
livery window, while in the city the resi-
dent has his mail brought 20 his door. 1t is
stated that over 81, 900 neighborhoods are.
under the present system, receiving mail at
postoffices where money orders and postal
noies are not issued. The extension of this
system to these communities is especially
desirable, as the patrons Of such
Offices are not possessed OF the other
facilities offered in the more populous COM
munities for the Transmission of small sums
of money.
have in a message to the preceding con-
gress expressed my views as to modified
use Of the telegraph in connection with the
postal service.
POSTAL MAIL SERVICE.
In pursuance of the ocean mail hw of
March 8, 1891, and after most careful
study Of the whole subject and frequent
conferences with shipowners, boards of
trade and others advertisements were issued
by the Postmaster General for So lines of
ocean mail service, 10 to Great Britain aud
the continent, "a to South America,
8 to China and Japan, 4 to Aus
tralia and the Pacific islands, 20 the
West Indies and TO Mexico. 1t was not, of
course, expected that bids for all these lines
would be received, or that service
upon them all would be contracted
for. 1t was intended in further
ance of the act TO secure as many new lines
as possible, while including in the list most
or all Of the foreign lines now occupied by
American ships. 1t was hoped that line to
England and perhaps one to the continent
would be secured, tut the outlay required to
equip such lines wholly with new ships of
the first class, and the difficulty of establish
ing new lines in competition with those
already established deferred bidders whose
interest had been enlisted. 1t is hoped that
a way may yet be found of overcoming
these difficulties.
Tho Brazil Steamship Company, by rea-
son of miscalcularion as to the speed of
its vessels, was not able to bid under the
terms of the advertisement. Tie policy Of
no a IN fr,r, ba
tablished lines an improved service as con-
dition Of giving to them the benefits of the
law. This, in all instances, has been at
tanned. The Postmaster General estimates
that an expenditure in American ship yards
of about Sl0,000,000 will be necessary to
enable the bidders to construct the ships
called by for the service which they have
accepted. do not think there is any rea-
son for Encouragement, or for any turn
back from the policy of the legislation.
Indeed, good beginning has teen made
As the sub1ect Is further Considered and I'M
derstood by capitalists and shipping people
new lines will be ready to meet future pro-
posals and we may date from the passage
of this law the revival of American shipping
interests and the recovery of fair share of
the carrying trade of the world.
We were receiving for foreign postage
nearly S2,00J,0U0 under the old system, and
the outlay for ocean mail service did not
exceed $500 600 per annum. 1t is estimated
by the Postmaster General that if all the
contracts proposed are completed it will re-
quire S247. 354 for this year, in
addition, to the appropriation for
sea and inland postage. Already
estimated and that for the next fiscal year
ending June 80, 1893, there would probably
be needed about S56O,00O.
The Navy Department..
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
shows gratifying increase Of new naval
vessels in commission. The Newark, Con-
cord, Bennington and Miantonomoh have
been added during the year with an aggre-
gate of something more than 1000 tons
Twenty>four warships Of all classes are now
under construction in the navy yards and
private shops, but while the work upon
Them is going forward satisfactorily, the
completion of the more important
vessels will yet require about q
years time. Some of the vessel 8
now under constr uction, it Is believed, will
be triumphant specimens # naval engi-
neering. When it is recollected that the
work Of building modern navy was only
initiated in the year 1888. that our naval
constructors and shipbuilders were practl-
cally without experience i'll the construc-
tion Of large iron or steel ships,
that our engine shops were unfamiliar
with great marine engines and that the
manufacture of steel forgings for guns and
plates was almoSt wholly foreign Industry,
the progress that has been made is not only
highly satisfactory but furnishes the assur-
ance that the United States will before long
attain in the construction IF such We sells
with their engines ami armament the same
pre- emlnence which it attained when the
best instrument of ocean commerce was the
cllppership, and the most impressive ex-
hibit of naval power the old wooden three
decker man-of-war. The officers of the
navy and the proprietors and engineers of
our great private shops have responded with
wonderful intelligent and professional zeal
to the confidence expressed by congress in
its liberal legislation. We have now at
Washington gunshop, organized and con-
Quoted by naval officers, that IN its system,
economy and product Is uIexcelled. Ex-
periments with armor plate have been con-
Quoted during the year with most impor.
tant results. 1t is now believed that
plate of higher resisting power
than any in use has been found and that the
tests have demonstrated that cheaper meth,
DDS Of manufacture than those heretofore
thought necessary can be used. Icommend
to your favorable consideration the recon.
mendations of the secretary, VINO has, | an
sure, given them the most consci entioui
study. There should be no hesitation il
promptly completing a navy of the best
modern type large enough to enable THU
country to display its flags in all seas for III,
protection of its citizens and of its extend
ing commerce. The world needs no assur
If the raaoaft1l - ba Tc;+