Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-07
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The pg6iie soaadezss n TIE psrpoSe ard
st1lly 81 TIE ses~rEUeat ~ HA-Htsia ne
paper. mast reaasIa essh.ssn The aemsad
Tor soAd "a kuroee AID he sonss41e Calls
nPsa IS are n Considerable aegree tia result
nenss - iaereass their so.e reserves. snc
tnsss saorfs she@4la 10 zaet - spssosfiAts led
isl&tles upon car part The eonaitiS1s Rat
ia A. Important assr-s ps.isieal. znd act eesn-
meres2l In yles u the f&ct that general ror
vision OF oar revenee laws IA me near future
Any eaaases should be part 81. that revisioE
Tsther ta4n OF temporary nature
The silver Qaesttos.
During the last fiscal year The secretary pur~
snssed uadss The set q July u. iep, - 3Afss
for % ioooDs Ia notes TIE tofA. parshssss
since tie passage Of the act have been ~ t1s,-
81 ~ M ga ne on n., e0 far s,s
duriax tae year Was y een,s psr ounce. the
hisnes, price being q o.% July l lwi and TIE
thai the monetary conference y nov sitting
and that DO soaciusiod has as yet been reached.
! withhold any Recommendation - " the is5as-
lstion upon this subject
The War Department
The report OF the secretary OF var brings
again TO the attention OF congress some fmpor-
tanf suggestions IS 20 the reorganization OF the
ss ~ ana srcry .rns n - me ,v ssrs nee
tuey be pressed Our army ID small but IL or
gan<asson should all the more ne pat upon the
upon what Ne have called the frontier have
heretofore required the maintenance OF many
small army posts. but now the policy OF central
should have the proper strategic relations TO
the only frontiers :" we now have, those OF
the sea coast aud OF the northern and part OF
our southern boundary / do not think that
any question Of advantage in localities or
states should determine the location OF the
new posts The organization and tho en-
largoments OF the bureau OF military informn
ton which the secretary has effected Is . work
the usefulness Of which viii become every year
more apparent The work OF building heavy
guns and the construction OF coast defcnses has
been well begun and should be carried on with
out check.
Departments OF Justice
su6mis,ed directly Z, o congress. but can1o. re-
Quoted the increasing work Of the de.
iessonal skill H rsI has IN several directions
secured from the courts decisions giving IN
creased protection 10 tho ofhcers OF the United
escaped local COMPLIANCE and punishment unto
the tribunals Of thu United States, where they
could be tried with impartiaiity.
clemency presented In behalf Of persons con-
victed In the United States courts aud given
penitentiary sentences have called my attcn-
eral in his report, namely. that time allow
ance for good behavior for such prisoners Is
prescribed by the federal statutes only where
had made no such provision Prisoners are given
state law regulating tho peni!sntiary 70
various some perhaps too liberal and some
perhaps too illfberal. The result Is that .
sentence for i've years means one thing If the
prisoner Is sent 70 one state for confinement
and quito different thing II he is sent TO ar
other. recommend that uniform credit for
good behavior be prescribed by congress.
ha VI vnrec ua1 In a
Recommendation Of the attorney general
they are believe in Al, Of sd iSe states These
grades ars founded on various distinctions In
crime. The recognition of them would enable
the courts to exercise some discretion In appor-
tiouing punishment and would greatly relieve
the executive Of what is coming TO be very
heavy burden-the examination Of these cases
on application for Communication
The aggregate Of claims pending against the
government In the court Of claims Is enormous-
Claims to the amount OF nearly e400 900 900 for
sons Claiming to be loyal during the war srs
now before the court for examination When
TO these arc added the Indian depreciation
1eS is reached sSa Is
startling. In the defense OF these claims
tho government Is At 3 disadvantage.
evidence, whereas the government has 70
send agents to rummage for what they can ind
This diniculty Is peculiarly great where the
l TACT 10 DC cStoptISutQ - LILO oISlOyhlby u tuO
claimant during the war. II this great threat
| against our revenues Is to have no other check
certainly congress should supply the depart
ment Of justice with appropriations sufficiently
liberal TO the best legal talent in the de-
Tense Of these claims and to pursue its vague
search for evidence effectively.
The Posta1service.
The report of the postmaster general shows
most gratifying increase and most eficlent
and progressive management Of the great bust
| ness Of that department. The remarkable in
| and in the miles OF mail interchange furnishes
further evidences Of the high state Of prosperity
which our people are enjoying. New ofices mean
OF our border settlements and Increased rev.
enues mean an active commerce. The post
master general reviews tho whole period OF his
his statistics down to tho month Of November
last. The postal revenues have increased dur
| ing the last year nearly - 100000. The deficit
for the year ending June 3D. 1892 is ee48 34l less
than the deficiency of the preceding year
| The deficiency OF the present fiscal year.
| 1t Is estimated, will be reduced to q, 552,-
Ink the next fiscal year, but surplus
| OF nearly 81, 000,0 900 should then be shown. In
| these calculations the payments to be made
| under the contracts for ocean mail service have
| not been included There have been added
! 1890 new mail routes during the year, with .
| mileage OF s,5Ss miles, and the total number Of
is nearly i7.OO00o0 The number OF miles OF
mail journeys added during the last four years IL
about 76.00O00, this addition being Il 000 600 Of
miles more than were in operation In the whole
country IN 1851
| The number of post ofYices has been increased
| by 2790 during the year; and during the past
| four years and up TO October ~ last the total
| increase in the number OF of1ces has been near
ly 5000. The number Of free delivery Offices has
been nearly doubled In the past four years.
and the number OF money order offices moro
| than doubled within that time
| For the three years ended June 90 1904
| the postal revenue amounted 10 el97. IA. $50.
which was an increase of 81, 263, $50 over the
revenue for the three years ended June 30, 1888.
the increase during tfc last three years being
more than three and half times rs great as
the increase during the three years ended June
| 20. 1893 No such increase rs that shown for tho
| past three years has ever previously appeared
| In the revenues Of the department The post
master general has extended 10 tho post oficcs
In the larger cities the merit system Of promo
tion, introduced by my direction into the de-
| partment here. and II has resulted there, as in
| that better done
Foreign Mail Service.
| Ever since our merchant marine was driven
! from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
| var Of The rebellion, the United States thus
| paying en- enormous annual tribute TO forc'gn
countries In the shape Of freight and passage
moneys, our grain and meats have been taken ae
| our own docks, and our large imports tbsre lAie
\ down by foreign ship masters An tncreAeio9
torrent OF American travel TO Europe bas CON-
OF foreign ship owners The balance OF trade
/ shown By the books Of our custom houses
has been largely reduced and In many years
ss'ose,her estinsuished y this constant strain
/ ports were brought In American vessels. These
1 great foreign steamships maintained by our
/ traf1c are many OF them under contracts with
their respective governments by which In time
! OF war they vii become q part CT their armed
naval establishments Prohfsna by our com
nerce In peace they viii become the most