The Somerset reporter., 1893-12-07
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.


Continued from first page.
There have b zen delays in the completion OF
uharmorel vessels, but for the most part hey
have been such AS as constantly occurring
even in countries having the largest ex
per.eucs ga naval shipbuilding. The mo>t
rinGs al -lpS~, however, have been in the
work a. mored ships. The trouble has
heea til fa"are Of contractors 10 deliver
ar.nor "A r !. The difficulties seem now,
h,weftf. e., nave been all overcome, aid
IT uor j. being delivered with satisfactory
promptness.
While am distinctly in favor of consist
emily pursuing the policy w have inaugur-
ated of building up a thorough and efficient
navy, | cannot refrain from the suggestion
that the congress should carefully take into
account the number of unfinished vessels on
our hands and the depleted condition of our
treasury in considering the 'proprety of an
appropriation at this time to begin new work.
Pensions.
The secretary of the interior has the super
vision of so man, important subjects that his
report is Of especial value and interest. On
June 30, lsg3, there were on the pension rolls
bJ5.0l2 names. an increase of 1924 over the
number on the rolls June -. 1892.
OF these there were Il widows and daugh-
tiers Of revolutionary soldiers, 81 survivors Of
the war OF lsl2, 5g5i widows of soldiers of the
war. q ,5Is survivors and widows of the Mexi-
can war, 3Ss2 survivors and widows of Indian
wars. ga army nurses, and 1883 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 disabilities or death resulting from
army and navy service, The number of per-
remaining on the rolls June 30 1888, who
were pensioned under the act Of June y, $50,
which allows pensions on account of death
and disability not chareeable to army service
was I59,l5
The number added to the rolls during the
year l2J,'fA and the number dropped was
1861. The first payments on pensions al
lowed during the year amounted to $500.
5i9.B. This includes arrears. or the accumu-
lation between the time from which the al
lowance of pension dates and the time of ac
tually granting the certificate.
Although the law of lsssi permits pensions
for disabilities not related to military service,
yet as a requisite to its benefits a disability
must exist ncapaciating applicants from
the performance Of manual labor to such II
degree as to render them unable to earn a sup
port
The execution Of this law In its carly stages
does not seem to have been in accord with its
true intentions, but toward the close of the
last administration an authoritative construt-
ton was given to the statute, and since That
time this construction has been followed. This
has had the effect of limiting he operation of
the law to its intended purpose.
| unable TO understand why frauds in
the pension rolls should not be exposed and
corrected with thoroughness and ,igor.'
Every name irauduently put upon these
rolls is II wicked imposition upon the kindly
sentiment in which pensions have their origin.
The sum expended on account Of pensions
for the year ending June 30 1873 was $l55,140.-
4bi.l+ The commissioner estimates that St5.-
0J0,0O will be required to pay pensions during
the year ending June 3D. 1891
Our Red Brethren.
Our Indians number about 2i3,HO Most of
them are located on 1911 reservations, contain
ing III, 1861 acres of land. About 10000 of
these Indians have, to Il large degree, adopted
civilized customs. Lands in severalty have
been allotted to many of them. such allot-
ments have been made to l0,f00 Indians during
the last fiscal year, embracing about l,OO00U
acres.
The number u Indian government schools
open during the year was 49,, an increase OF
IL over the preceding year. OF this total 100
were on reservations, of which - were board
ing schools and - we're day schools.
The law providing that, except in especial
cases. army officers shall be detailed MS In
dian agents, it Is hoped, will prove u success
full experiment. There is dancer of great
abuses creeping into the prosecution Of claims
for Indian deprcdations, and | recommend
that every possible safeguard be provided
against the enforcement of unjust and ficti-
tious claims of this description. The ap-
preparations on account of the Indian bureau
for the year ending June ID, 1894, amount to
G9A, ed..@, II decrease US compared with the
year preceding 1t Of $685. ,l3l.9j.
Agriculture.
The report of the secretary OF agriculture
shows that on March I, ls93 there were upon
upon its pay rolls 2t3 employees. This num-
Der has been reduced to 1850 persons, In view
of depleted public treasury. and the i'm
perative demand Of the people for economy
in the administration of their government.
the secretary has entered upon the task of
rational y reducing expenditures by the elimi
nation from the pay rolls OF all persons not
needed for an efficient conduct of the affairs
Of the department.
During the first quarter of the present year
the expenses of the department aggregate
$345, 876.76, As against $pE.024! for the cor
responding period of the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1888 The secretary makes apparent
his intention TO continue this rate OF reduction
by submitting estimates for the next fiscal
year less by $sh4, 80 than for he present year.
The regulations of 1880, concerning Texas
fever have been enforced during the last year,
and the large stock yards of the country have
been kept free from infection. Occasional
local outbreaks have been largely such rs
could have been efectually guarded against
by the owners OF the affected cattle.
While contagious pleuro-pneumonia in cat
tie has been eradicated, animal tuberculosis,
a disease widespread and more dangerous to
human life than pleuro- pneumonia, is still
prevalent. investigations have been made
during the past year as to the means of its
communication and the method of its correct
diagnosis.
The exports of agricultural products from
the United States for the fiscal year ending
June %, 1882, attained the enormous figures of
4SO0OOl,0 900 in round numbers, being 1871 per
cent of our total exports. In the last fiscal
year this aggregate was greatly reduced, but,
nevertheless. reached S5lj.HW o., being Is
per cent of all American commodities ex-
ported.
The continued intelligent execution of the
civil service law and the increasing approval
by the people of It's operation are most graft
flying. The recent extension of its limta-
tons and regulations to the employees at free
delivery post Offices which has, been honestly
and promptly accomplished by the commits
sion. with the hearty cooperation of the post
master general, is an immensely important
advance in the usefulness of the system.
The course of civil service reform in this
country instructively and Interestingly Illus
t-ates how strong hold n movement gains