The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-12-08

Tho Navy.
The report Of the secretary of the navy
contains history of the operations Of his
department during the past year. and ex-
hibits n most gratifying condition of the
personnel of our navy.
During the past six months the demands
for cruising vessels have been many and
urgent. There have been revolutions call
ing for vessels TO protect American inter-
| ests in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica,
Honduras, Argentina and Brazil, while
the condition of affairs in Honolulu has re-
Quired the constant presence Of one or
more ships. With all these calls upon our
navy 1t became necessary, in order to
make up a sufficient fleet to patrol the
Behring sea under the modus vivendi
agreed upon with Great Britain, to detail
to that service one vessel from the fish
commission and three from the revenue
marine.
Progress in the construction of new ves-
sells has not been as rapid as was antici-
pated. There have been delays in the COM
pletion of unarnored vessels, but for the
most part they have been such as are con-
stantly occurring even In countries having
the largest experience In naval shipbuild-
ing. The most serious delays, however,
have been in the work upon armored ships
The trouble has been the failure of con-
tractors to deliver armor As agreed. The
difficulties seem now, however, to have
been all overcome, and armor is being de-
livered with satisfactory promptness.
The following vessels are In process Of
construction: The second class battleships
Maine and Texas, the cruisers Montgom-
cry and Marblehead and the coast defense
monitors Terror, Puritan, Amphitrite and
Monadnock, all Of which will be completed
within one year; the harbor defense ram
katahdin and the protected cruisers Co
lumbia, Minneapolis, Olympia, Cincinnati
and Raleigh all of which will be complet-
ed prior to July /, 1895; the first class bat
tleships Iowa, Indiana, Massachusetts and
Oregon, which will be completed Feb. l.,
1896, and the armored cruiser Brooklyn,
which will be completed by Aug. of that
year. 1t Is also expected that the three
gunboats authorized by the last congress
will be completed in less than two years.
Since 1886 congress has at each session
authorized the building of one or more
vessels, and the secretary of the navy pre-
sents an earnest plea for the continuance
of this plan. He recommends the author
ization of at least one battleship and six
torpedo boats.
While l am distinctly in favor Of con-
sistently pursuing the policy we have in
augurated of building up thorough and
efficient navy, cannot refrain from the
suggestion that the congress should care
fully take into account the number of un-
finished vessels on our hands and the de-
pleted condition of our treasury in consid-
ering the propriety of an appropriation at
this time to begin new work.
The method of employing mechanical la
Dor at navy yards through boards of labor
and making efficiency the sole test by
which laborers are employed and contin-
ued Is producing the best results, and the
secretary is earnestly devoting himself to
its development.
Pensions.
The secretary of the interior has the su-
pervision of SO many important subjects
that his report is of especial value and in
terest.
On the 80th day Of June, 1893, there were
on the pension rolls ,O12 names, an in
crease of s0,944 over the number on the
rolls June 30, 1892. OF these there were II
widows and daughters of Revolutionary
soldiers, So survivors of the war of 1912,
1925 widows of soldiers of that war, u, ,5lS
survivors and widows of the Mexican war,
3,SS2 survivors and widows of Indian wars,
2S4 army nurses, and 475, ,645 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 persons remaining on the rolls June 80,
1898, who were pensioned under the act of
June 81, 1890, which allows pensions on ac-
count of death and disability not charge
able to army service, was 459,155.
The number added to the rolls during
the year was 1886 and the number
dropped was $500.
Although the law of 1890 permits pen
sions for disabilities not related to military
service, yet as a requisite to its benefits a
disability must exist incapacitating appli.
cants from the performance of manual
labor to such degree as to render them
unable to earn support" The execution
of this law in its early stages does not seem
to have been In accord with its true inten.
tion, but toward the close of the last ad-
ministration an authoritative construction
was given to the statute, and since that
time this construction has been followed.
This has had the effect Of limiting the op-
Grafton of the law to its intended purpose.
The discovery having been made that
many udiucs udu Uccu put upon Cn6 pen
sion roll by means of wholesale and gigan-
tic frauds. the commissioner suspended
payments upon number OF pensions which
seemed to be fraudulent or unauthorized
pending complete examination, giving
notice to the pensioners, in order that they
might have an opportunity to establish. If
possible, the justice of their claims, not
withstanding apparent invalldity.
This, understand, Is the practice which
has for long time prevailed in the pen
sion bureau, but after entering upon these
recent Investigations the commissioner
modified this rule SO as not to allow, until
after n complete examination, interference
with the payment of pension apparently
not altogether void, but which merely had
been fixed at rate higher than that au-
thorized by law
/ am unable to understand why frauds
in the pension rolls should not be exposed
and corrected with thoroughness and vigor
Every name fraudulently put upon these
rolls is wicked imposition upon the
kindly sentiment in which pensions have