Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-12-11

/ olil'i liabilities oHeleu IN more pOpulOUS
communities for the transportation of small
sums of money.
The Pension Bureau.
The administration Of the pension bu-
reau has been characterized during the
year by great diligence The total num-
| Der of pensioners upon the roll on the Both
day of June, 1891, was 676, 1850 There
were allowed during the fiscal year ending
at that time $50, JGj cases. OF this num-
Der l02, 3S7 were allowed under the law of
June y, 1890. The issuing of certificates
has been proceeding at the rate of about
10000 per month, about - per cent of
these being cases under the new law. The
| commissioner expresses the opinion that
he will be able to carefully adiudicate and
allow 100000 claims during the present
fiscal year. 'The appropriation for the pay
ment of pensions for the fiscal year 1890
81 was Sl27, GSj, 793.S 80 and the amount eX-
pended SllS,j20 Gj4.2j leaving an uneX-
pended surplus of 50, 100, 144.G4. The
commissioner is quite confident that there
will be no call this year for a deficiency APP
preparation, notwithstanding the rapidty
with which the work is being pushed The
estimate for pensions expenditure for the
year ending June 30, 1893, is S144, $50, 900.
Il
subject the commissioner is of the opinion
will be sufficient. These disbursements to
the disabled soldiers of the great Civil war
are large but they do not realize the exag-
geratcd estimates of those who oppose this
bcneiicent legislation
The Census.
The work of the census bureau is now
far in advance and the great bulk of the
enormous labor involved completed. 1t
will he more strictly statistical exhibit.
and less encountered by essays than its i'm
mediate predecessors. The methods pur-
sued have been fair, careful and intelligent,
and have secured the approval of statisti-
clans, who have followed them with sci
entiiic and non-partisan interest.
The Territories and Irrigation.
In writing on this subject the President
strongly recommends prompt legislation 10y
Congress to prevent individuals and corpo-
rations from Selling upon the sources of
the water supply in the great western terri
tories, to the injury of thousands of set
tiers who need the water for purposes of
irrigation. The most fragrant evil of mod
ern legislation, he says, is the improvident
granting of franchises of enormous value.
without recOmpense to the state or munic-
ipality from which they proceed, and with
propcrprotection of the public interests.
Repression of POIygamy.
The legislation of Congress for the re-
preston of polygamy has, after years of
resistance on the part of the MormOns, at
last brought them to the conclusion that
resistance is Improbable and unavailng.
The power of Congress over this subject
l.., 4.
satisfactory evidence that the people of the
state to be created would exercise the ex-
elusive power of the state over this subject
in the same way. The question is not
whether the people now obey the laws of
Congress against polygamy but rather
would they make, enforce and maintain
such laws themselves if absolutely free to
regulate the subject. We cannot afford to
experiment with this subject, for when a
state is once constituted the act is final and
any mistake irretrievable. No compact in
the enabling act could, in my opinion, be
binding or effective.
Department of Agriculture.
If the establishment of the department
of agriculture was regarded by any one as
a mere concession to the unenlightened de-
mand OF worthy class of people, that i'm
preston has been most etfectually removed
by the great results already attained. Its
home influence has been very great in dis
semnating agricultural and horticultural
information; in stimulating and directing
IA further diverSifcation of crops; in de-
tecting and eradcating diseases of domes-
tie animals: and more than all, in the
close and informal contact which it has es-
tablished and maintains with the farmers
and stock raisers of the whole country.
Every request for information has had
prompt attention and every suggestion
merited consideration. The scientific corps
of the department is of a high order and
is pushing its investigations with method
and enthusiasm. The inspection of this
department of cattle and pork products i'll
tended for shipment abroad has been the
basis of the success which has attended
our efforts to secure the removal of the re-
strictiOns maintained by the European
governments. For ten years protests and
petitions upon this subject from the packers
and stock raisers of the United States have
been directed against these restrictions,
which so seriously limited our markets and
curtailed the profits of the farm. 1t is a
source of general cOngratulation that sue
cess has at last been attained, for the eff
fleets of an enlarged foreign market for
these meats will be felt, not only by the
farmer, but in our public finances and in
every branch of trade. 1t is particularly
fortunate that the increased demand for
food products, resulting from the removal
of restrictions upon our meats and from
the reciprocal trade arrangements to which
i have referred, should have come at a time
when the agricultural surplus is so large.
Without the help thus derived, lower
prices would have prevailed. The secreta-
ry of agriculture estimates that the restric-
tiOns upon the importation of our pork
products into Europe lost us a market for
5000 worth of these products annually.
The grain crop of this year was the larg-
est in our history, so per cent greater than
that of last year, and yet the new markets
that have been opened and the larger de-
mand resulting from short crops in Europe
have sustained prices to such an extent
that the enormous surplus of meats and
breadstuffs will be marketed at good prices,
bringing relief and prosperity to an indus
try that was much depressed. The value
of the grain crop of the United States is
estimated by the secretary to be this year
500, 600 more than last; of meats
Sl20,000,000 more, and of all products of
the farm 500, 100000 more. 1t is not in
appropriate, | think, here to suggest that
our satisfaction i'm the contemplation of
this marvellous addition to the national
wealth is unclOuded by any suspicion of
the currency by which it is measured and
in which the farmer is paid for the products
of his fields
The CiviI Service.
Tho ranort nf tho civil sarvina aon,nis