Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-10

these llne6 WOuf0 De received, or that
service upon all would be contracted
for. 1t is intended in furtherance of
the act to secure as many new lines as
possible, while including in the list
more or all of the foreign lines now occu-
pied by American ships. 1t was hoped
that line to England, and perhaps one
to the continent, would be secured, but
the outlay required to equip such lines
wholly with new ships of the first class,
and the difficulty of establishing new
| lished. deferred bidders whose interest
had been enlisted. IL is hoped that a
way may yet be found of overcoming
these difficulties. The Brazilian Steam
ship company, by reason of a miscalcu-
| lation as to the speed of its vessels, was
not able to bid under the terms of the
advertisement. The policy of the de-
partment was to secure from the estab-
lished lines an improved service as q
condition of giving to them the benefits
| of the law. This in all instances has
| been attained. The postmaster. general
estimates that an expenditure in Amer
| ican shipyards of about 100000 will
be necessary to enable the bidders to
construct the ships called for by the
service, which they have accepted.
| l do not think there is any reason for
| encouragement or for any turning back
| from the policy of this legislation. In
4 deed, good beginning has been made,
and as the subject is further considered
and understood by capitalists and ship
| ping people new lines will be ready to
meet future proposals, 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 100000 un-
der the old system and the outlay for
ocean mail service did not exceed
5000, 900 per annum. 1t is es imated by
the postmaster-general that if all the
contracts proposed are completed it will
require $247 ,154 for this year in addition
to the appropriation for sea and inland
postage already in the estimate, and
that for the next fiscal year ending June
so, 1898, there would probably be
needed about $560,000.
THE NAVY.
The report of the secretary of the navy
shows gratifying increase of new naval
vessels in commission. The Newark,
Concord, Bennington and Miantonomah
have been added during the year, with
an aggregate of something more than IL,
600 tons. Twenty-four warships of all
classes are now lying under construction
in the navy yards and private shops
but while the work upon them is going
forward satisfactorily, the completion o.
the more important vessels will yet re-
quire about years time. Some of the
vessels now under construction, it is be-
| l,auaI ysl ha fr,y ho nf v,ouo1 IN,
eering. When it is recollected that the
work of building modern navy was
only instituted in the year 1888; thai
our naval constructors and ship builders
were practically without experience in
the construction of large iron or steel
} ships; that our engine shops were un
familiar with great marine engines, anc
that the manufacture of steel forgings
for guns and plates was almost wholly 9
foreign industry, the progress that hal
been made is not only highly satisfacto
ry, but furnishes the assurance that ths
United States will, before long, attain il
the construction of such vessels with
J engines and armament of the same pre-
eminence which was claimed when the
best instrument of ocean commerce was
the clipper ship and the most impressive
exhibit of naval power the old wooder
three-decker man-of-war. The officers
of the navy and the proprietors and en-.
gineers of our great private shops have
responded with wonderful intelligence
and professional zeal to the confidence
expressed by congress in its liberal
legislation. We have now at Washing
ton gun shop organized and conducted
by naval officers that in its system
economy and product is unexcelled
Experiments with armor plates have
been conducted during the year with
most important results. 1t is now be.
lieved that a plate of higher resisting
power than any now1in use has been
found, and that the tests have demon.
strated that cheaper methods of manu-.
facture than those heretofore thought
necessary can be used.
l commend to your favorable consid-
Grafton the recommendations of the sec.
retary, who has, am sure. given to
them the most conscientious study.
There should be no hesitation in prompt
| ly completing navy of the best modern
type, large enough to enable this coun-
try to display its flag in all seas for the
protection of its citizens and of it's ex-
tending commerce. The world needs no
assurance of the peaceful purposes of the
| OtdtS6, UuI We 6udil pTODdDlv DC
in the future more largely contributors
| in the commerce of the world, and 1t is
essential to the dignity of this nation
and to that peaceful influence which it
should exercise on this hemisphere that
| it's navy should be adequate both upon
| the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The report of the secretary of the in
terror shows thas very gratifying pro-
gress has been made in all of the bu-
reaus which make up that complex,
difficult department. The work in the
bureau of Indian affairs was perhaps
never so large as now, by reason of the
numerous negotiations which have been
proceeding with the tribes for reduc-
ton of the reservations, with the incl
dent labor of making allotments, and
was never more carefully conducted.
The provision of adequate school facili-
ties for Indian children and the location
of adult Indians upon farms involve a
solution of the Indian question"
Everything else, rations, annuities and
tribal negotiations with the agents, in
spectors and commissioners. who dis
tribute and conduct them, must pass
away when the Indian has become cit
izen, secured in the individual owner
ship of farm, from which he derives
his subsistence by his own labor, pro-
tected by and subordinate to the laws
which govern the white man, and pro-
yided by the general government or by