Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-12-10

70 cxorClho bOmo ulbCrotlOn IN uppOrClOu'
ing punishment and would greatly relieve
heavy burden the examination OF these cases
on application for communication.
The aggregate OF claims pending In
the court OF claims Is enormous Claims 70
the amount OF nearly SiO.0Jo.OOo for injury 70
persons claiming 10 DO loyal during the war are
now before that court for examination When
10 these IRE added tho Indlnn depreciation
claims and the French spoliation claims nm az
gregate is reached that IL indeed startling In
the defense Of these claims the government In
Mt q great disadvantage The claimants have
preserved their evidence whereas the govern
ment has 10 send agents 20 rummnge the fold for
what they can tiud. This difficulty Is peculiar.
~ great where the fact 10 be established IL the
disloyGlty Of the claimant during the war. II
this great threat against our revenue Is 10 have
no other check Il IL certain congress should sup
ply the department OF justice with appropria'
tons sufficiently liberal 10 secure the best
legal talent in tho defense OF these claims and
70 pursue its vague search for evidence.
THE POST oTPIoA
The report OF thu postmaster general shows
o most gratifying increase and most eficient
and progressive management OF tho great bisi-
ness OF that department The remarkable in
crease In revenues In tho number or post ofilces
aud In the miles OF mail Interchange furnishes
further evidence Of the high state OF prosperity
which our people are cnioging. New Offices
mean new hainlets, towns, routes mean the
extension OF our bordsr settlements. and In
creased revenues mean active commerce. The
postmas Ter general reviews the whole period
of his admin 3tration OF the once and brings
some OF his statistics down 20 tho month OF
November last. Tn. postal revenues have In
creased during the lpst year nearly shOn.WJ
The deficit for the year ending Jnne 3D. 1897, Is
thnn a.. dal, ~ -
ing year. The deficiency OF the present fiscal
year IL is estimated viii b. reduced TO II ,12, H.
which will not only be cStinguished during the
next fiscal year, but a surplus OF nearly T,UOJ.-
O0O should there be shown.
In these calculations the payments to he made
under the contracts for ocean mail service
have not been included There have bccn added
1880 new mail routes daring the year with q
mileage OF $500 niles and the total number OF
new miles Of nail trip. added during the year
is nearly l.,Ol,00 Tho number OF miles OF
mail journeys added during the lass four years
Is about 20, U1OW, thls addition being .l,0O).oO1
OF miles moro than there were in operation in
the whole country in 1871
The number OF post Offices has been Increased
BY a,190 during the year, and durln. the past
four years and up u October - last, the total
increase OF the number OF Offices has been near
ly l,0). The number o: free delivery o!fices
has been nearly doubled In the pas. four years
ind the number Of money order ofilces more
than doubled with that time. For three years
ended June 30, 1891! the postage revenue
amounted TO si9s. 80, which was an increase
OF S53 II l5) over the revenue for three years
ended Juno 30, IS s. the increase during the
last three yc'rs being uso:o than three and half
Iimcs as great as tao increase d.rius the
three years onded June 81, 1883 No such In
crease rs that shown for these three years has
war mr. o IN a NJ
department. The postmaster general has ex'
tended TO the post ofnces In tbs larger cities
the merit OF promotion introduced BY my di.
rection, into the departments hore and IL has
resulted there. ~ In the departments, In . large
volume OF work. and that bottcr done.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers duping the
war OF the rebellion, the Unitel States has been
paying an enormous annual tribute TO foreign
countries In the shape Of freight ind passenger
moneys, our grain md moAt. Aavo bsen taEal
ut our 3Wa docks and ca large imports there
laid down by foreign Shlpmastcrs. An increas-
Ing torrent Of American travel to Europe has
contributed o vast sum annually to the divi'
Sieuds Of foreign ship owners The balance OF
trade shown by the books OF our
custom houses has been largely, reduced
and In many years altogether extinguished
by, this constant strain In tho year 1879!
y
in American vessels Tho foreign steamships
maintained b; or tram: ne m iny OF them IL
der contract with their respective governments
By which In time OF war they will become
part OF their armed naval establishments.
Profting by our commerce In peao9, they Will
become the most formidable destroyers OF our
commerce in time OF war. felt and have be-
fore expressed the feeling that this condition OF
things was both intolcrablo and diSgraccfu A
oNn nylHh has
promise as Il seems to me, was begun by the
law OF March 3, 1891 Under this law contracts
have been made by tho postmaster-goneral for
eleven mail routes The expenditure involved
by these contracts for the next fiscal year up
proximntod s954 ia 80 AS ono OF the good re-
suits reached, sixteen American ships Of an ag'
gregAte tonnage OF 81 Nv tons. costing T.0)0OOO,
have been built or contracted 70 be built In
American ship yards.
The estimated tonnage Of oil steamships TO
Quired under existing contracts is tx, SOC, and
when the full service required By these con-
tracts is established there wiz be forty'one
mail steamers under the American flag. with
the probability OF further necessary additions
In the Brazilian and Argentine service. The
contracts recently let for Transatlantic service
will result in the construction OF hV0 ships OF
10000 tons each, costing g. 700 900 or siU.OO 100
and will add, with the CITY OF New York and
the CITY OF Paris, 70 which the treasury depart
ment was authorized by legislation at the last
session TO give American registry, seven Of the
swiftest vessels upon the 500 to our naval re-
serve. The contracts made with the lines sail
ing to Central and Sodth American ports have
Increased the frequency and shortened the time
OF the trips, added now ports OF call and sus.
tanned some lines th0t otherwise would almost
certainly have been withdrawn The service TO
Buenos Ayres Is the first 70 tho Argentine re-
public under the American flag The service TO
Southampton. Boulogne and Antwerp Is also
new, and is TO be begun with the steamships City
of New York and City OF Paris in February next.
Iearnestly urge q continuance OF the policy In
Augurated by this legislation and that the up
preparations required TO meet the obligations
OF the government under the contracts
may be promptly m1ds so that the lines
that have entered into these engagements