River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-12-08

OF the erorts OF some OF the Euroreln govern
mcnts 10 increase their gold reserve, and
these efforts should b. met by appropriate ie.s-
islation upan our part The conditions that
have created this drain OF the treasury gold are
mercial Ia view OF the fact that general re.
vision OF our revenue laws IN the near future
seems 10 be probable, IL would be better that
any changes should be part OF that revision
rather thai OF . temporary nature
The silver Question.
During he last fiscal year the secretary pur-
chased un Ter the act of July IA, 1870. 5iS55 7i3
ounces OF silver, and issued IN payment there
since the passage OF the act have been 100 49,
ssi ounces, and the aggregate Of notes issued
during the year was "a cents per ounce the
highest price being l.02sl July ], 1891 aud the
lowest SJsS March "a, 1872. In view OF the fact
that the monetary conference IS now sitting
and that no conclusion has as yet been reached,
withhold any recommendation as to the legis-
lation upon this subject
The War Department.
The report OF the secretary of war brings
again 10 the attention OF congress some impor-
tant suggestions as 10 the reorganization OF the
infantry aaa artillery arms Of the service,
which his predecessors have before urged that
they be pressed. Our army is small but It's or
ganiZati0n should all the more be put upon the
most approved modern basis. The conditions
upon what we have called the frontier have
heretofore required the maintenance OF many
small army posts, butnow the policy OF central
ization is obviously the right one. The new posts
should have the proper sira tegic relations TO
the only frontiers. we now have, those OF
the sea coast and OF the northern and part OF
our southern boundary. 1 DO not think that
any question of advantage in localities or
states should determine the location OF the
new posts The organization, ana NE en-
tion which the secretary has effected is a work
the usefulness OF which will become every year
more apparent The work OF building heavy
and the frucfiou of coast QffenSeS has
been well begun and should be carried on with
out check
Department of Justice.
submitted directly to congress, but cannot re-
Quoted the ine.Ieasing work Of the de
fessional skill He has in several directions
secured from the courts decisions giving in
States and bringing some classes OF crime that
escaped local cognizance and punishment unto
the tribunals of the United States, where they
could be tried with impartality.
The numerous applications for executive
clemency presented in behalf OF persons con-
victed in the United States courts and given
tion 20 a fact referred 10 by the attorney gen
eral in his report, namely, that time allow
ance for good behavior Tor sueh prisoners IS
prescribed by the federal statutes only where
the state in wluch the penilentiary is located
had made no such provision PRISONERS are gwen
me benefit Of the b proV1slohs az '1e
which they may he sent These are
various, some perhaps too liberal ana some
sentence for five years means one thing if the
prisoner is sent TO one state for confinement
and quite different thing II ne Is sent 70 an
other recommend that a uniform creult Tor
good behavior be prescribed by congress. 1
have before expressed my concurrence IN the
RECOMMENDATION of the attorney general General
be recognized in federal states as
they are believe, in all OF the states. These
grades are founded on various distinctions IN
crime. The recognition OF them would enable
the courts 10 exercise scme dis reiion IN apror-
tioning pun shment and would greatly relieve
the executive OF what is coming TO be very
heavy burden-the examination OF these cases
on application for commutation.
The aggregate of claims pending agaisst the
government in the court OF claims Is enormous.
Claims to the amount of nearly siOoOOOO0O for
the taking Of or injury 20 the prof. erty OF per
sons claiming TO be loyal during the war are
now before the court for examination. When
to these arr added the Indian depreciation
claims and the French spoliaton claims
an aggregate is reached that is indeed
the government Is at Disadvantage.
The claimants have preserved their
send agents 10 rummage for what they can lind
This difficulty Is peculiarly great where the
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 sutficien "
liberal to secure the best legal talent in the de-
Tense Of thes- claims and 10 pursue lis vague
search for evidence effectively.
The Postal service.
The report OF the postmaster general shows
a most gratifying increase and most enclent
and progressive management OF the great Dusi-
ness Of that department The remarkable in
crease in revenues, IN the number OF post onlces
and in the miles of mail Interchange furnishes
further evidences OF the high state OF prosperity
which our people are enjoying New ohlees mean
new hamlets, towns routes mean the extension
border settlements and increased rev.
enues mean an active Commerce. The post
master general reviews tue whole perlod OF ms
administrator Of the office ana brings some OF
his statistics down to the month OF November
last. The postal revenues have Increased dur
ing the last year nearly D,O00OJO The denclt
for the year ending June 3d. 1877 is s6iS3il less
than the deficiency of the preceding year.
The deficiency OF the present nscal year.
IL is estimated, will be reduced to sl,5os,-
423 which will not only be extinguished dur
ing the next fiscal year, but a surplus
Of nearly sl.O00,0J9 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
1880 new mail routes during the year, with a
mileage OF s563 miles and he total number OF
new miles Of mail trips added during the year
Is nearly 100000 The number Of miles of
mail Journeys added during the last four years is
about ECO 900 this addition being p ,0o000O of
miles more than were in operation in the whole
country N 1851.
Thenumber of post offices has been increased
by 2.79O during the year and during the past
four years and up to October 20 last the total
increase in the number OF offlces has been near
ly 1000 The number of free delivery onlceS mas
been nearly doubled in the past four years,
and the number Of money order offices more
than doubled within that time.
For the three years ended June 30, lSy2
the postal revenue amounted 10 Sl91.1i4 ,S59,
which was an increase OF s52,263, 100 over the
revenue for the three years ended June 30, 1858
the increase during TIE last three years being
more than three and half times as great as
the increase during the three years ended June
80 1898 No such increase as that shown Tor the
three has previously appeared
in the revenues Of the department The post
master general has extended to the post ofhces
in the larger cities the merit system OF promo
tion, introduced by my direction INTO the de-
partment here, and IL has resulted there, as in
the departments, in large volume OF WORK ana
that better done.
Foreign Mail Service.
Ever since our merchant marine was driven
from the sea by the rebel cruisers during the
war Of the rebellion, the United States thus
paying an enormous annual tribute TO foreign
countries in the shape of freight and passage
moneys our grain and meats nave been taken at
our own docks, and our large imports there lald
down by foreign ship masters. An increasing
torrent of American travel TO Europe has con
trbuted vast sum annually TO the dividends
shown by the books OF our custom houses
has been largely reduced and IN many years
altogether extinguished by this constant strain
In the year 1892 only 30 per cent OF our I'M
ports were brought In American vessels. These
great foreign steamships maintained by our
traffic are many OF them under contracts win
OF war they will become a part Of their armed
naval establishments. Prohtng by our com
merce in peace, they will become the most
formidable dostroyers of our commerce
in time OF war. nave felt ana
have before expressed the leeiing
that this condition OF things was both inioler.
able and disgraceful. wholesome change OF
policy and one having in il m ich promise, as u
seems 10 me, was begun by the law OF March 3,
1891. Under this law contracts have been made
by the postmaster general Tor eleven mani
routes The expenditure involved by these
contracts for the next fiscal year approXlmates
1851 l-333 As one OF the results already
reached sixteen American steamships, an ag-
have been built or contracted TO be buht IN
Amer can ship yards
The estimated tonnage OF all steamships re-
quireu under existing contracts Is lt3.eu- ana
when the iull service required by THESE con-
tracts is established there viii be forty -one mall
steamers under the American flag, with the
probability of further necessary adultlOns IN
the Brazilian and Argentine service. Inc
contracts recently let for transatlantic serV-
ice will result in the construction
of five shfps of ten thsuslnd tons EACH
costing 100000 or slJ,0O0m0 and viii ada,
with the City of New York and City OF Paris, 10
which the treasury department was authorized
by legislation AT the last session 10 give amer
the sea 10 our naval reserve Inc
contracts made with the lines sailing
TO Central ana South American ports have
increased the frequency ana shortened the
time of the trips, added new ports OF
call, and sustained some Ines that olherWlse
would almost certainly haze teen Withdrawn
The service to denos Ayres is the nrst TO the
Argentine Republic under the American nag
The service TO Southampton. bohlogne anu
Antwerp is also new, and IS 10 be begun VIII
steamships City of New YORK and City OF
Paris Ia February next.
i earnestly urge continuance OF the PoilSy