Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-09

rusal Of TIE report gtvss abundant evidence
that the supervision and direction of the postal
system have bssa Characterised BY An inteili-
gent and conscientious desire to improve the
service. The revenues Of the Department show
an increase of over Eve millions Of dollars, with
. deficiency for The year 1854 Of less than four
millions OF dollars, while the estimate for the
year 1893 shows . surplus Of receipts over ex-
pendlturea
Ocsan-mail post Offices have been established
upon the steamers Of the North German Lloyd
and Hamburg lines, saving, by the distribution
on shipboard, from two to fourteen hours time
in the delivery Of mail ut the port Of entry and
often much more than this In the delivery at
interior places So thoroughly has this system,
initiated BY Germany and the United States,
evidenced IL usefulness that il cannot be long
before il il installed upon al the great ocean
mail-carrying steamships.
Eight thousand miles Of new postal service
has been established upon railroads. the car
distribution to sub-stations in the great cities
has been increased about IL per cent, while
the percentage Of errors in distribution has
during the past year, been reduced over one
half. An appropriation was given by the last
Congress for the purpose Of making some ex-
perIments in free delivery in the smaller
cities and towns. The results of these expert
ments have bseu so satisfactory that the Post
master-General recommends, and l concur in
the recommendation, that the free-delivery
system be at once extended TO towns of 5000
population. His discussion Of the inadequate
iacliities extended under oar present system
TO rural communities and his suggestions with
view to give these communities q fuller par
0cipation In tho benefits OF the postal serv-
Ice are worthy of your careful considera-
ton. 1t is not just that the farmer who receives
his mail at a neighboring town, should not only
be compelled to send to the post Office for il.
IN
which to place it or to wait his turn at a gen.
eral delivery window, while the city resident
has his mail brought to his door. tits stated that
over o., GOO neighborhoods are. under the pres
ent system, receiving mail at post Offices where
money orders and postal notes are not issued
The extension of this system to these commu-
mites is especially desirable, as the patrons Of
such offices are not possessed of the other facili-
ties offered In moro populous communities for
the transmission of small sums Of money.
have in a message to the preceding Con-
gress, expressed my views as to a modified use
Of the telegraph in connection with the postal
service.
OCEAN MAIL SUBSIDIES.
In pursuance of the ocean-mail law Of March
:, 1881, and after q most careful study of the
whole subject and frequent conferences with
shipowners, boards Of trade and others, ad-
refreshments were issued by the Postmaster
to Great Britain aud the Continent, "a to South
America, 8 to China and Japan, 4 to Australia
and the Pacific Islands, Z to the West Indies,
and to Mexico. 1t was not, of course, ex-
pected that bids for ell these lines would be re-
ceived 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 of all
of the foreign lines now occupied by American
ships. 1t was hoped that a line to England and
perhaps one to the Continent would be secured,
butthe outlay required to equip such lines wholly
with new ships OF the first class and the diff
Guilty of establishing new lines in competition
with those already established deferred bidders
whose interes. had been enlisted. 1t is hoped
that a way may yet be found OF overcoming
these difficulties. The Brazil Steamship Com
pany, by reason of a miscaiculation as to the
speed of its vessels was not able to bid under
the terms of the advertisement The policy
OF the Department was to secure from the es-
tablished lines an improved service as a con-
dition of giving to them the benefits OF the law.
This in all instances has been attained. The
Postmaster-G General estimates that an expendi-
ture In American shipyards of about ten mill
ions of dollars 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
deed, good beginning has been made, and
as the subject is further considered and under
stood by capitalists and shipping 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 a fair share of the carrying
trade of the world. We were receiving for
foreign postage nearly 81, 900, 900 under the
old system and the outlay for ocean-mail serv-
ice did not exceed 100000 per Annum. 1t is
estimated by the Postmaster-General that, if
all the contracts proposed are completed, il
will require S247. 1854 for this year, in addition
to the appropriation for sea and inland postage
already in the estimates, and that for the next
fiscal year, ending June 80, 1893, there would
probably be needed about S56O,OOO.
The Navy Department.
The report Of the Secretary of the Navy
shows gratifying increase of new naval YES
sells in commission. The Newark. Concord,
Bennington and Miantonomoh have been added
during the year, with an aggregate of some
thing more than IL 900 tons. Twenty-four war
ships of all classes are now under construction
in the navy-yards and private shops, but while
the work upon them Is going forward satisfac-
torily, the completion of the more important
vessels will yet require about years time.
Some Of the vessels now under construction, il
is believed, will be trinmphs Of naval engineer
ing. When it is recollected that the work of
mOueIn navy WaS only lpitiate0 In
the year 1888. that our naval constructors and
shipbuilders we're practically without expert
ence in the construction Of large iron or steel
ships. that our engine shops were unfamiliar
with great marine engines and that the manu-
facture OF steel fOrgings for guns and plates was
almost wholly foreign industry, the progress
that has been made is not only highly salts
factory, but furnishes the assurance that the
United States will before long attain in the con-
struction of such vessels, with their engines and
ornaments, the same pre-eminence which il at
tanned when the best instrument of ocean COM
merce was the clipper ship and the most impress
i've exhibit 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
intelligence and professional zeal to the con-
fdence expressed by Congress in its liberal
legislation. We have now at Washington gun
shop. organized and conducted by naval Off
GERS, that in its system, economy and product
is unexcelled. Experiments with armor plate
have been conducted during the year With most
important results. 1t is now believed that q
plate of higher resisting power than any in use
has been found and that the tests have demon
strated that cheaper methods of manufacture
than those heretofore thought necessary can be
used.
THE NAVY OF THE FUTURE
I commend to your favorable consideration
the recommendations of the Secretary, who
has, am sure, given to them tho most con-
scientious study. There should be no hesita-
ton in promptly completing navy Of the best
modern type. large enough to enable this coun-
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