The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1893-12-09

1
.valns q slyr seryios rsiorm whom, after . s.
lot 3. absolutely reli1Dle, ne expresses tho
0pinibn that without the benefit Of this system
nc NOaad ~ impossthleto conduct the vast bust-
desire TO commend IS especially worthy
of prompt attention the suggestions Of the
postmaster general relating g more sensible
and business like organiza ton and better dis
tributton OF responsibility in his department. If
! ,5 The Navy. i 81
The report Of the secretary Of the navy con-
tatns history OF the. operation OF his depart
ment during the past y. sr, and exhibits most
navy. He presents satisfactory account Of
The progress which has been made In the con-
struc ton OF vessels and makes number Of
Recommendations to which attention Is espe-
cially invited.
Cruisers Kept Busy.
During the past six months the demands for
cruising vessels have been many and urgent.
There have been revolutions Calling for vessels
to protect American interests in Nicaragua,
Guatemala, Costa Rica Honduras. Argent tina
and Brazil, while the condition OF affairs in Homo
lulu nas requ'red me o. er
navy, It became necessary, In order to makeup
Q sufficient fleet to patrol the Behring sea un.
der the modqs v,ye1ai agreed upon with VII Greaf
from the fish commission and three from the
revenue marine.
Progress in the construction OF new vessels
has not been as rapid as was anticipated
There has been delay in the competition OF un-
armored vessels, but for the most part they
have been such as are constantly occurring
even In countries having the largest experience
In naval ship building. The most serious de-.
laws, however, have been In the work upon
armored ships The trouble has been the fail
ure Of contractors to deliver armor as agreed.
The difficulties seem now however, to have
been all overcome and arnor Is being delivered
with satisfactory promptness.
NJ Our Reorganized Navy.
4 As result OF the experience acquired by
ship builders and designers and material men,
1T is believed that the oates when vessels will
be completed can now be estimated with rea.
sonable accuracy. Great gus. rapid ire guns,
torpedoes and powder are being promptly sup
piled
A Note of Warning.
Since 1886 congress has at each session
and the secretary of the navy presents an
earnest plea, for the continuance OF
this paa, He the
Six shs'on torpedo a. boats OATS While ' an dis.
tinctly in favor of consistently pursuing the
policy we have inaugurated of building up a
thorough and effclent navy cannot f5 ha1a
i carefully take into account the number OF un.
finished vessels on our hands and the, depleted
condition OF our treasury In conslder1ng the
!. begin new work
The method of employing mechanical labor
at navy yards through boards Of labor, and
making efficiency the sole test by which labor
ers are en- ployei and continued Is produc-
ing the best results, and the secretary Is
earnestly devoting himself to its developments
Attention is invited to the statement s of his
report in regard to the workings OF the system
The Pension Rolls.
The secretary of the interior has the surer-
vision OF SO many important subjects that his
3Ulh day of June, 1893, there were on the PEN
sion rG.ls 965,0l2 names. an increase Of 1914
over the number on the rolls June 81, 1892 OF
these there were l67 widows and daughters OF
revolutionary soldiers, 81 survivors OF the war
of 1872 425 widows of soldiers of that war I'll
5l8 survivors and widows OF the Mexican war,
army nurses and H5645 survivors and widows
and children of deceased soldiers and sailors OF
the war of the rebellion The latter number
represents those pensioned on account OF disa-
biiities or death resulting from army and navy
service The number OF persons remaining on
the rolls June 3d. 1893. who were pensioned UNI
der the act of June ~. 1890, which allows pen
sions on account of death and disability not
chargeable to army service, was 459, 155
The number added to the rolls during the
year was l23, 6S4 and the number dropped was
80 800. The first payments on pensions al
lowed during the year amounted to S33, 7o6,
54995 This includes arrears, or the .accnmu-
lation between the time from which the al
loWance OF pension dates and the time Of actual,
~ granting the certificate
Pensions for Disabilities.
Although the law Of 1899 permits pensions for
disabilities not related to military service. yet
as requisite 10 its benefits disability must
eXist.incapacitatng applicants IRON the per-
formance Of manual labor to such degree as
to render them unable to earn support The
not seem to have been in accord
with its true intention: but toward
the close of the last administration an
authoritative construction was given to the
statute and since that time this construction
mas been followed. This mas had the effect OF
limiting the operation OF the law to its intended
purpose. The discovery having been made that
many names had been put upon the pension
roll by means of wholesale and gigantic frauds,
the commissioner suspended payments upon
a number OF pensions which seemed TO De
fraudulent or Unauthorized pending com
plete examination, giving notice to the pension
ers in order that they might have an opportun.
ity to establish il possible, the jus tce Of their
claims notwiths ranuing apparent invalidity
Frauds Should Be Exposed.
This, understand is the practice which has
for a long time prevailed in the pension
bureau but after entering upon these recent
investigations the comm. ssioner modified this
rule so not to allow, until after complete ex-
animation, interference with the payment OF a
Which merely had been fixed at a rate higher
than authorized by law. am unable
to understand why frauds in the pension
thoroughness and vigor. Every name fraudu-
lently put upon these rolls IS q wicked lmposi'
lion upon the kindly sentiment in which pen
slons have their origin. Every fraudulent pen
siOner has become a bad citizen: every false
oath in support Of pension has made perjury
more common, md false and undeserving pen
sioners rob the people not only OF their
money but OF the patriotic sentiment
which the survivors OF war fought for
the preservation Of the union ought to IN
spire. Thousands OF neighborhoods have their
well-known fraudulent pensioners, and recent
developments by the bureau establish appail.
ing conspiracies to accomplish pension frauds.
BY no means the least wrong done is to brave
and deserving pensioners, VINO certainly ought
not to be condemned to such association. Those
who attempt in the line OF duty TO rectify,t these
wrongs should not be accused OF enmty or IN
difference to the claims of honest veterans.
Enormous Expenditures.
The sum expended on account of pensions for
the year ending June 3d. 1883 was Sl56, ~ 46I a.
The commissioner estimates that sl65,oov0s
will be required to pay pensions during the
year ending June 30, 1894
Indian Affairs.
The condition OF the Indians and their uli-
mate fate are subjects which are related to a
sacred duty Of the government and which
strongly appeal to the sense OF justice and the
sympathy of our people.
Our Indians number about 28,OO0 Most OF
them are located on l6I reservations, contain
ing 86 1861 acres of land About 11O, COO OF
these Indians have, to large degree, adopted
civilized customs. Lands in severalty have
been allotted to many OF them Such allotf-
ments have been made to 10 GU individuals dur;
ing the last fiscal year. embracing about
1000 OO acres The number of Indian gov
eminent schools Open during the year WHS