Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-12-09

| Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Argent1n
and Brazil. while the condition of affairs
Honolulu has required the constant presence o
one or more ships. With all these calls upoI
cur navy, it became, necessary In order 60 make
up sufficient fret, to patrol the Behrlng sea un
der the modus yivendi agreed upon with Grea
Britain, to detail to that service one vessel from
the fish commission and three from the revenue
marine.
Since 1855, congress has at each session au
thorized the building of one or more vessel:
| and the secretary OF the navy presents an earn
| est plea for the continuance of this plan. de
| recommends the authorization of at least one
battle ship and six torpedo boats. While am
| distinctly In favor OF consistently pursuing the
| policy we have of building up thorough and Ell
| cient navy cannot refrain from the sugges
! ton that congress should carefully take into
! account the number of unfinished vessels on
our hands and the depleted condition of our
| treasury in considering the propriety OF an ap-
preparation at this time to begin new work.
The method of employing mechanical labor
at the navy yards through boards OF labor and
ers are employed and continued, is producing
the best results, and the secretary is earnestly
deVoting himself to its development. q.
PENSIONS.
Although the law of 1890 permits pensions for
disability not related to military service, yet as
a requisite to its benefits disability must ex-
ist lncapacitating applicants from the per-
Torrance of manual labor to such degree as
y to render them unable to earn a support"
The discovery having been made that many
names had Been put upon the pension roll by
means ofeTholesale and gigantic frauds, the
commissioner suspended payments upon
number of pensions which seemed to be fraudu-
lent or unauthorized. pending a complete ex-
animation, giving notice to the pensioners in
order that they might have an opportunity to
establish, If possible, the justice Of their claims
Notwithstanding apparent invalidity
This, understand, is the practice which has
for long time prevailed in the pension bureau
but after entering upon these Investigations,
the commissioner modified this rule 50 as not
to allow, until after complete examination,
interference with the payment of pension APP
parently not altogether void but which merely
had been fixed at a higher rate than that
authorized by law. l am unable to understand,
why frauds in the pension rolls should not be
exposedand corrected with thOroughness and
Vlgor, every name fraudulently put upon these
rolls is wicked imposition upon the kindly
sentiment in which pensions have their origin.
Every fraudulent pensioner has become a bad
citizen; every false support of a pension has
made perjury more common and false, and I'M
deserving pensioners rob the people not only of
their money but the patriotic sentiment which
the survivors of war fought for the preserva-
ton of the union ought to inspire. Thousands
OF nelgebOrhoodS have their well known fraudu-
lent pensioners and recent developments by the
bureau established appalling cOnspiracies to
establish pension frauds By no means the
least wrong done is to brave and deserving PEN
sioners, who ought not to be condemned to such
associations These who attempt in the line of
duty to rectlfy these wrongs should not be &C
cused of enmity or indifference to the claims of
honest veterans
PUBLIC LANDS.
The vast area of land which but short time
ago constituted the public domain is rapidly
falling into private hands. 1t is cetrain that in
the transfer the beneticent intention of the gov
eminent to supply from its domain homes to
the industrious and worthy home seekers is
often frustrated, through the speculator who
stands with an extortionate purpose between
the land Office and those who, with their fami-
lies, are invited by the government to settle on
the public lands. He is despicable character
VINO ought not to be tolerated, yet it is difficult
to thwart his schemes.
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
The recent opening to settlement of the lands
IN IL e Cherokee outlet, embracing an area of
6,500,0O0 acres, notwithstanding the utmost
care in framing the regulations governing the
selection of locations, and Notwithstanding the
presence of United States troops, furnished an
exhibition, though perhaps in a modified de-
gree, of the mad scramble the violence and the
fraudulent occupation which have accompanied
previous openings of public lands l concur
with the secretary in the belief that these out
rageous incidents cannot be entirely prevented
change in the laws on the subject,
and hope this recommendation in that direc-
ton will be favorably cosidered.
FORESTRY.
especially commend to the attention of the
congress the statements contained in the secre-
tarys report on forestry. The time has come
when efficient measures should be taken for the
preservation of our forests from indiscriminate
DISEASES OF CATTLE.
While contagious pleuro-pneumonia in cattle
has been eradicated animal tuberculosis, dis
ease widespread and more dangerous to human
life than pleuro-pneumonia, is still prevalent.
Investigations have been made during the past
years as to the means of its communication and
the method of its correct diagnosis. Much
progress has been made in this direction by the
studies of the division of animal pathology, but
work ought to be extended in cooperation with
local authorities, until the danger to human
10 oriS &c 20
imum.
The work of the statistical division of the de-
partment of agriculture deals with all that re-
lates to the economies of farming. The main.
purpose of its monthly reports are TO keep the
farmers informed, as fully possible, on all
matters having any influence upon the world of
markets in which their products have found
sale. Its publications relate especially to the
side of farming. 1t is, therefore,
of profound importance and vital concern to
the farmers of the United States. who represent
direct interest to the whole country, that the
work of this division be efficiently performed
and that the information it has gathered be
promptly ditfused.
CIVIL SERVICE.
am, il possible, more than ever convinced of
the incalculable benefits conferred by the civil
service law, not only in its effect upon the pub
lie service, but also what is even more i'm
portant in its effect in elevatng the tone of po-
lltlcal life generally The course of civil service
In this country is instructive and interesting
and illustrates how strong hold a movement
gains upon our people which has underlying it
a sentiment of Justice and right, and which at
the same time promises better administration
OF their government / earnestly urge that the
clerks necessary to carry on the work of the
commission be regularly put upon its roster and
that the system of obliging the commissioners
to rely upon the services of clerks belonging to
other departments be discontinued,
ECONOMY.
Economy in public expenditure is duty that
cannot innocently be neglected by those in
trusted with the control of money drawn from
the people for public uses. It must be confessed
that our apparently endless resources, the ia
of our people with immense accu-
of wealth, the growing sentiment
among them that the expenditure of public
money should In some manner be to their i'm
mediate and personal advantage, the indirect
and almost stealthy manner in which a larger
part or our taxes are exacted. and degener-
ated sense of official accountability have led to
a growing extravaganza in governmental ap-
preparations.
THE TARIFF.
After hard struggle tariff reform is directly
before us. Nothing so important claims atten-
ton and nothing so clearly presents itself as
both an opportunity and duty imposed upon
us by our oft repeated professions and by the
emphatic mandate of the people. After full
discussion our countryman have spoken in
favor OF this reform and they have confided the
work OF its accomplishment to the hands of
those who a re solemnly pledged to it. If there
Is anything In the theory of representation in
public nlaCaS of the Da0nlo and fhair dac;raS q