Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-12-09

| that the lines that have entered into these
| engagements may not be embarrassed.
We have had. by reason OF connections
with the transcontinental railway lines
constructed through our own territory,
some advantages In the ocean trade OF the
| Pacific, that we did not possess on the At
| lantic. The construction OF the Canadian
/ Pacific Railway, and the establishment
under large subventionS from Canada and
England of fast steamship service from
Vancouver with Japan, and China, serious
| ly threaten our shipping interests in the
| Pacific. This line of English steamers re-
ceives, as is stated by the Commissioner
OF Navigation, a direct subsidy OF S4O0, 600
annually, or $50 16l per trip for thirteen
voyages, In addition to some further aid
| from the admiralty in connection with
contracts, under which the vessels may be
used for naval purposes. The competing
| American Pacific Mail Line, under the
act of March 3, 1891, receives only Sc, $3.50
per round trip.
No subject, think, more nearly
| touches the pride, the power and the
| the development of our merchant marine
| upon the sea. II we could enter into
ali would agree TO withhold government
aid, we could perhaps take our chances
with the rest, but our great competitors
have established and maintained their
| lines by government subsidies until now
! they have practically excluded US from
participation. In my opinion, no choice
is left to us but 70 pursue, moderately,
at least, the same lines.
THE NAVY.
The report of the Secretary of the Navy
exhibits great progress in the construc-
! tion of our new navy. When the present
Secretary entered upon his duties, only
| three modern steel vessels were In COM
mission. The vessels since put in COM
mission, and to be put in commission
during the winter. will make total OF
nineteen during his administration or the
department. During the current year
! ten war vessels and three navy tugs have
| been launched, and during the four years
! twenty-five vessels will have been
launched. Two other large ships and a
| torpedo boat are under contract and the
work upon them well advanced. and the
/ four monitors are awaiting only the ar
rival OF their armor, which has been un-
| expectedly delayed, or they would have
been before this in commission.
At the beginning of Secretary Tracys
administration several difficult problems
| remained to be grappled with and solved
| before the efficiency in action OF our
| ships could be secured. IL is believed
that as the result of new processes in
the construction of armor plate our later
ships viii be clothed with defensive
! plates of higher resisting power than are
| found on any war vessel afoat. We
were without torpedoes. Tests have been
made TO ascertain the relative efficiency
| OF different constructions, torpedo has
| been adopted and the work OF construc-
| ton Is now being carried on successfully.
! We were without armor-piercing shells,
and without shop instructed and
| equipped for the construction OF them
! We are now making what is believed to
be projectile superior TO any before in
use. A smokeless powder has been de-
! veloped and a slow-burning powder for
guns OF large caliber A high explosive,
capable OF use i'm shells fired from SER
! vice guns, has been found, and the manu-
facture Of gun cotton has been devel-
oped. so that the question of supply Is
no longer I'm doubt.
The development OF a naval militia,
which has been organized in eight states
and brought into cordial and co-opera-
tive relations with the navy, is another
important achievement There are now
enlisted in these organizations 1880 men
and they are likely to be greatly extend
ed. / recommend such legislation and
appropriations as will encourage and de-
velop this movement.
The ships from our navy which Will APP
pear in the great naval parade next
April In the harbor of New York will be
n convincing demonstration to the world
| that the United States is again naval
power.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
The work of the Interior Department.
always very burdensome, has been larg-
er than ever before during the admins
tration of Secretary Noble The disabil-
ity pension law. the taking of the elev-
enth census, the opening of vast areas Of
Indian lands to settlement, the organiza-
ton of Oklahoma and the negotiations
for the cession of Indian lands furnish
some OF the particulars OF the increased
work; and the results achieved testify to
the ability, fidelity and industry OF the
~ ~ NNPeA NAhNhN eAhN ms NA'ANANAN
assistants.
1 concur in the recommendation of the
Secretary OF the Interior that the agree
ment entered into by the Cherokee Com
mission, for the cession of the Cherokee
strip, be ratified by Congress.
ALASKA.
The form of government provided by
congress on May IL, 1884, for Alaska was,
In its frame and purpose temporary. The
increase or population and the develop
ment OF some Important mining and COM
merctal interests make IL Imperative that
the law should be revised and better pro-
vision made for the arrest and punish
ment Of criminals.
THE GENERAL LAND OFFICE.
The report of the secretary shows a
very gratifying state of facts as to the.
condition of the general land office. The
work OF issuing agricultural patents.
which seemed to be hopelessly in arrears
when the present secretary undertook the
duties of his office, has been so expedited
that the bureau is now upon current bus
worthy settlers on the public lands, by
giving to them an assured title to their
entries, has been of incalculable benefit
In developing the new states and the ter
The court of private land claims. estab-
lished by Congress for the promotion of
this policy of speedily settling contested
land titles. is making satisfactory progress
in it's work.
INDIAN AFFAIRS.
The work OF the Indian Bureau. In the
execution or the pOllCy OF recent leBlSla-
ton. has been largely directed to two
chief purposes: First, the allotment of
lands In severalty to the Indians and the
cession to the United States of the sur
plus lands, and, secondly, to the work
of educating the Indians for their own
protection in closer contact with the white
man, and for the intelligent exercise of his
new citizenship. Allotments have been
made and patents issued to $500 Indians
under the present secretary and commits
sioner, and z 600 additional allotments have
been made for winch patents are now In
process Of preparation. The school at
tendance of Indian children has been in
creased during that time over 13 per cent,
the enrolment for 1892 being nearly 20.-
600 A uniform system OF school text
books and of study has been adopted, and
the work in these national schools brought
as near as may be to the basis of the free
common schools of the states. These
schools can be transferred and merged
into the common school systems of the
states when the Indian has fully assumed
his new relation to the organized civil
community I'm which he resides, and the
new states are able 10 assume the bur-
den.
have several times been called upon to
remove Indian agents appointed by me,
and have done so promptly upon every
sustained complaint Of unfitness or mis-
conduct. l believe, however, that the In
dian service at the agencies has been inn
proved and is now administered on the
whole with a degree of efficiency. If any
legislation is possible by which the selec-
ff0n ~ Indian agents can be WnOiIV re-