Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-06

Government in the Court of Claims is enormous.
Claims to the amount of nearly 500. 000. 900 for
the taking OF or injury to the property of per-
sons claiming to be loyal during tine war are
now before that court for examination. When
to these are added the Indian depreciation
claims and the French spolIa ton claims ag-
gregate is reached that is indeed startling. In
the defense of all these cases the Government
is at great disadvantage. The claimants have
preserved their evidence, whereas the agents of
| the Government are sent into the field TO rum
mage for what they can find. This difficulty is
peculiarly great where the fact to be established
| Is the disloyalty of the claimant during the
| war. III this great threat against our revenues
/ Is to have no other check certainly Congress
should supply the Department Of Justice with
appropriations sufficiently liberal to secure the
best legal talent in the defense of these claims
and to pursue Its vague search for evidence ef-
fectively.
| THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
The report Of the Postmaster General shows
a most gratifying increase and most efficient
and progressive management of the great bust
ness OF that Department. The remarkable in
crease in revenues. in the number OF post
othces, and in the miles Of mail carriage fur
nishes further evidence OF the high state of
prosperity which our people are enjoying.
New offices mean new hamlets and towns, new
routes mean the extension of our border set
tiements, and increased revenues mean an act
i've commerce The Postmaster General re-
views the whole period of his administration of
the office and brings some of his statis-
tics down to the month Of November
last: The postal revenues have increased
| during the last year nearly 81. 900 GEO.
The deficit for the year ending June
80, 1892, is SS4S, 341 less than the deficiency of
the preceding year. The deficiency of the
| present fiscal year it is estimated will be re-
duced to II, $50 .423. which will not only be ex-
4 nOrI Ghn6 DIV, @hA
surplus of nearly one million dollars should
then be shown. In these calculations the pay
/ ments to be made under the contracts for ocean
| mail service have not been included. There
have beep added 1850 new mail routes during
| the year, with mileage of 1858 miles; and the
! total number of new miles of mail trips added
| during the year is nearly seventeen millions.
The number of miles of mail journeys added
during the last four years is about seventy-six
millions, this addition being twenty-one mil
lions OF miles more than were in operation in
the whole country in 1861
The number of post-offices has been increased
by 2, 100 during the year; and during the past
four years and up to October 30 last the total
increase in the number of offices has been
nearly nine tn ousand. The number of free
delivery Offices has been nearly doubled in the
| last four years, and the number of money
order offices more than doubled within chat
time
For the three years ending June 80. 1892. the
postal revenue amounted to SI97. 7i4. 359. which
was an increase of $50. 263 $50 over the revenue
for the three years ending June 80, 1888, the
increase during the last three years being more
than three and half times as great as the in
crease during the three years ending June 30,
1883. No such increase as that shown for these
three years has ever previously appeared in the
revenues of the Department. The Postmaster
General has extended to the post-otfices in the
larger cities the merit system of promotion
introduced by my direction into the Depart
ments here, and it has resulted there, in the
Departments, in larger volume of work and
that better done.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
war of the rebellion the United States has been
paying an enormous annual tribute to foreign
countries in the shape of freight and passage
moneys. Our grain and meats have been taken
at our own docks and our large imports there
laid down by foreign shipmasters. An increas-
ing torrent of American travel to Europe has
contributed a vast sum annually to the divi-
dends OF foreign shipowners. The balance of
trade shown by the books of our custom houses
has been very largely reduced and in many
years altogether extinguished by this constant
drain. In the year 1892 only 1873 per cent of
our imports were brought in American vessels.
These great foreign steamships maintained by
| our traffic are many of them under contracts
with their respective governments BY which
in time of war they will become a part of their
commerce in peace, they will become the most
formidable destroyers of our commerce in time
Of war. l have felt and have before expressed
the feeling that this condition of things was
both intolerable and disgraceful. A Wholesome
change Of policy and one having in it much
promise, as it seems to me. was begun by the
law of March 3. 1891. Under this law contracts
have been made by the Postmaster-G General for
eleven mail routes. The expenditure involved
by these contracts for the next fiscal year ap-
| 90
already reached l6 American steamships of an
aggregate tonnage of 81. 400 tons, costing 81
100000, have been built or contracted to be
built In American shipyards.
The estimated tonnage of all steamships re-
auired under existing contracts is l65. 500. and
when the full service required by these con-
tiocts is established there will be Al mail
steamers under the American flag with the
probability of further necessary additions in
Brazilian and Argentine service. The con-
tracts recently let for transatlantic service will
result In the construction of five ships of ten
| thousand tons each. costing nine or ten million
dollars. ard will add with the city Of Near York
and CITY Of Paris. to which the Treasury Depart
ment was authorized by legislation at the last
| session to give American registry, seven of the
swiftest vessels upon the sea 70 orr naval
reserve. The contracts made with the lines
sailing to Central and Soath American ports
| have increased the frequency and shortened
the time of the trips. added new ports of call
| and sustainedrsome lines that otherwise would
| almost certainly have been withdrawn. The
| service to Buenos Ayres is the first to the
Argentine Republic under the American flag.
The service to southampton, Boulogne and
Antwerp is also new, and is to be begun with
| the steamships city Of Ne,c York and City of
Paris in February next.
SUBSIDIZED STEAMSHIP LINES
earnestly urge a continuance of the policy
inaugurated by this legislation and that the APP
preparations required to meet the obligations
of the Government under the contracts.nay be
made promptly, SO that the lines that have en-
tered INTO these engagements NAV not be en-
barrassed. We have had, by reason of connec-
tons with the transcontinental railway lines
constructed through our own territory some
| advantages in the ocean trade of the Pacific
that we did not possess the Atlantic The
construction Of the Canadian Pacific
Railway and the establishment Under
large subventions from Canada ana
England of fast steamship service from
Vancouver with Japan and China seriously
threaten our shipping interests in the Pacific.
This line of English steamers receives as is
stated by the Commissioner of Navigation, a
direct subsidy of S400. 900 annually or $50, 767
per trip for thirteen voyages, in addition to
| some further aid from the admiralty in connec-
ton with contracts under which the vessels
may be used for naval purposes. The compel
ing American Pacific mail line. under the act
OF March 3, 1891, receives only S6,3S9 per round