The Red Cloud chief., 1892-12-16
legal talent in the defense Of these claims and
to pursue its vagts search for evidence.

legal talent In the defense Of these claims and
70 pursue its vagts search for evidence.
TIN POST oFFTcx
IT report Of the postmaster. general shows
q most gratifying increase and u most efficient
anu progressive management OF the great bust.
ness OF that department The remarkable in.
crease In revenues In the number OF post Offices
aud In the miles OF mail interchange furnishes
further evidence OF the high state OF prosperity
when our people are ENJOYING. New Offices
mean new hanlets, towns, routes mean the
extension OF our border settlements. and I'm.
creased revenues mean active The
postmas,er-general reviews tho whole period
OF his ADMINISTRATION OF the Office ana brings
some OF his statistics down to tho month OF
November last. The postal revenues have in.
creased during the last year nearly st.0W.0L
The deficit for the wear ending June ~. 1892. IL
ssis,3ii less than the dc,tcicnc, OF the precci.
Ing year. The deficiency OF the present fiscal
year II Is estimated will be reduced to 81, 7S!, "a,
which viii not only be eXtinguished during the
next fiscal year, but u surplus Of nearly 81 ,OOU.
100 should there be shown.
In these calculations the payments to be made
under the contracts for ocean mail service
have not been Included Tncrc have been added
l,oU new mail routes during the year with q
mileage OF 1868 niles, and the total number OF
new miles OF mail trips added dur.n, the year
is nearly 1900 100 The number OF miles OF
mail journeys added during the last four years
''h' ''asANtVh pIilA SfsF' wv
OF miles more than there were In operation in
the whole country IN 1851
Tho number Of post Offices has been Increased
by 2,'9J during the year. and during the past
four years and up to October - last, the total
increase Of the number OF onices has been noar.
ly l,Oot The number OF free delivery oIlce3
has been nearly doubled In the past four years
and the number OF money order Offices mere
than doubled with that time. For three years
ended June %, 1892, the postage revenue
amounted to fl9s, IA $50, which was an increase
ofss52 2t3, 1853 over the revenue for three years
ended June W, ia ,, the increase during the
last three years being more than three and a half
times rs great as the mere $50 ddrlny the
three years ended June -, 1883 No such in.
crease as that shown for these three years has
ever previously appeared In the revenues OF the
department. The postmaster. general has ex.
tended to the post Offices In the larger cities
tho merit OF promotion, introduced bs my al.
rection, into the departments here, and IL has
resulted there, as in the departments, In a large
volume OF work. and that better doue.
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 anil passenger
moneys. our grain and meats lave been taken
ut our own docks and or large imports there
laid down by foreign shipmastcrs. An incrcas.
Ing torrent OF American travel to Europe has
Us sum atiiiistAtN " lHt ~
dends Of foreign ship owners The balance OF
trade shown by the boo;s OF our
custom houses has been LARGELY reduced
ana In many years altogether cxtinyuishcd
by his constant strain In tho year isy.
only IL per cent. OF our Imports wers brought
In American vessels. The foreign steamships
maintained by our trafhc are many OF them un
der contract with their respective governments
by which In time OF war they will become q
part OF their armed naval establishments
Fronting nv our In peace, they will
become the most formidable destroyers VI our
In time OF war. 1 felt and have be.
fore expressed the feeling that this condition OF
things was both intolcrable and disgraceiul. A
wholesome change OF policy and having so much
promise rs 1t seems 10 me-, was begun by the
law OF March 3, 1891. Undcr 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-
~proxinated 1854. l:3 81. As one OF the good re.
suits reached, sixteen American ships OF an az.
gregatc tonnage OF 81, 400 tons, costing 700. OoO,
have been built or contracted to be built in
American ship yards.
The estimated tonnage of all steamships re-.
CURED under existing contracts IL la, So, and
when the full service re Quired by these con.
tracts IL established there will DO forty. one
mail steamers under the American flag, with
the probability Of further necessary additions
In tho Brazilian and Argentine service. The
sNNaN W
will result In the construction OF ave ship, Of
1000 tons each, costing :8,JVJ 90 or So. M, 100.
and Will add, with the CITY OF New York and
the 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 to our naval re-
serve The contracts made with the lines sail.
ing to Central and Solth American ports have
Increased the frequency and shortened the time
OF the trips added new ports Of call and sus'
tanned some lines that otherwise would almost
certainly have been withdrawn. The service to
Buenos Ayres Is the first to the Argentine re-
public under the American flag. The service TO
Southampton, Boulogne and Antwerp Is also
new, and IL To be begun With the steamships City
of New York and City OF Paris In February next.
l earnestly urge q continuance OF the policy in.
augurated by this legislation and that the ap.
preparations required 10 meet the obligations
OF the government under the contracts
may be promptly made so that the lines
that have entered into these engagements
may not DO embarrassed We have had By
reason OF connections with tho trans.conti,
mental RAILWAY lines constructed through our
own territory some advantages that We did not
possess on the Atlantic. The construction Of
the Canadian Pacific railway and the estab.
lishment under large subventions from Canada
and England OF fast steamship service from
Vancouver with Japan and China seriously
threaten our shipping interests in the Pacific
This line OF English steamers received, rs
stated by the commissioner Of navigation, Q
direct subsidy OF t40J,O o annually, or 90, 100
per trip for thirteen voyages, In addition to
some further aid from the admiralty In connec-
tion with contracts by which the vessels may
be used for naval purposes. The competing
American Pacific Mail line, under the act OF
March 3, 1891, receives only $3.50 per round
trip
Efforts have been making within the last
year, Us l am informed, TO establish under
similar conditions, q line between Vancouver
and some Australian port with q view OF secur-
ing there a trade In which we have had q large
interest The commissioner OF navigation
states that a very large per cent OF our imports
from Asia are now brought 70 US by English
steamships and their connecting railways In
Canada Witha view OF promoting this trade.
especially In tea, Canada has imposed q dis
eliminating duty OF 10 per cent on tea and cot.
fee brought into the dominion from the United
States. II this unequal contest between Amer
lean lines without subsidy, or with diminished
subsidies, and the English Canadian line TO
which I have referred is to continue, ] think
we should NJ least see that the facilities for
customs entry and transportation across our
territory are not such as TO mako the Canadian
route q favored one, and that the discrimina-
ton Is to duties, to which l have referred. 10
met Inv N like discrimination "a n the