Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-05

As a result OF the experience acquired /
by ship-builders and designers and mate
rial men. It Is believed that the dates
when vessels will be completed can now !
be estimated with reasonable accuracy. |
Great guns. rspld-nre guns. torpedoes.
and powder are being promptly supplied.
I. The following vessels of the new navy |
have been completed and are<now ready l
for service:
The double-turreted. coastdefence mont |
tor Miantonomah; the arInored cruiser
New York; the protected cruisers Baltl-
more, Chicago. Philadelphia. Newark. san
Francisco. Charleston. Atlanta, and Bos-
ton: the cruiser Detroit: the gun
boats Yorktown. Concord. Benning- |
ton. Machias. Castine. and Petrol; |
the dispatch vessel Dolphin: the
practice vessel Bancroft. and the |
dynamite gunboat Vesuyius OF these the 1
Bancroft. Machlas, Detroit. and Castine |
have been placed in commission during /
the current calendar year
The following vessels are In process of |
construction: The second-cass battle |
ships Maine and Texas. the cruisers /
Montgomery and Marblehead. and the |
coast-defence monitors Terror. Puritan.
Amphitrte. and Monadnock, all OF which 7
will be completed within one year; the |
harbor-defence ram katahdin and the |
protected cruisers Columbia, Minneapolis. |
Olympia, Cincinnati. and Raleigh, all Of |
which will be completed prior to July l, |
1895: the frst-class battle-ships Iowa, In
diana. Massachusetts. and Oregon. which
will be completed February |. 1896. and
the armored cruiser Brooklyn. which will
be completed by August LIST Of that year. 1t
is also expected that the three gunboats
authorized by the last Congress VIII be
completed in less than two years
A WORD OF CAUTION.
Since 1856 Congress has at each session
authorized the building Of one or more
vessels. and the Secretary OF the Navy
presents an earnest plea for the continu-
ance OF this plan. He recommends the
authorization Of at least one battle-ship
And six torpedo-boats. While l am dis
tnctly i'm favor Of consistently pursuing
the policy We have inaugurated of build
ing up a thorough and efficient navy,
cannot refrain from the suggestion that
Congress should carefully take into ac-
count the number Of unfinished vessels
on our hands and the depleted condition
of our treasury I'm considering the pro-
priety of an appropriation at this time to
begin new work.
The method OF employing mechanical
labor at nay-yards through boards of
labor. and making efficiency the sole test
by which laborers are employed and con-
tinued. is producing the best results, ann
the Secretary is earnestly devoting him
self to its development. Attention Is IN
yited To the statements of his report in
regard to the working Of the system.
THE PENSION-ROLLS.
The Secretary OF the Interior has super
vision Of so many important subjects that
his report Is of especial value ana IN
terost.
on the 3Oth day of June. 1893. there were
! on the pension-rols 966,0l2 names, an IN
! crease of 1914 over the number ON the
rolls June 30. 1872.
OF these there were II widows ana
daughters OF Revolutionary soldiers, 81
! survivors of the war Of 1872, 5.i25 widows
OF soldiers Of that war. A'oS
/ survivors and widows Of the MeXi-
| can war. 3.SS2 survivors and widows
/ Of Indian wars. 2Si army nurses,
and 1864 survivors and widows ana
! children of deceased soldiers and sailors
| of the war Of the rebellion. The latter
number represents those pensions on ac-
count of disabilities or death resulting
| from army and navy service The num-
her of persons remaining on the rolis
! lime 30. 1893, who were pensioned uhuer
Tho act of June q, 1890. which allows
nensions on account of death ana as
ability not chargeabe to army service
| was 459l5J. ,,..-
tho year was 1854. and the number
| dronned was g. 500 The first payments on
| nersions allowed during the year
| amounted TO S337565 l9.9S. This includes
| arrears, or the accumulation between the
| time from which the allowance OF pension
| dates and the time of actually granting
the certificate. Although the law OIL lS9V
nernnits pensions for disabilities not re-
Iated to military service. yet as requisite
10 its benefits a disability must exist IN
capacitating applicants from the per
| Torrance of manual labor To such de-
| gree as 10 render them unable 10 earn
me execution of this law in its early
| stages does not seem to nave Oeen III dc-
| cord with its true intentions, but toward
,b, Close of the last administration an
! authoritative construction was given To
Tho statute and since that time this con-
etruction has been followed This has had
the effect of limiting the operation of the
law TO It's intended purpose.
PENSION SUSPENSION.
The discovery having been made that
many names had been put upon the pen
sion rolls by means OF wholesale ana
gigantic frauds. the Commissioner sus-
| panlg1
sions which seemed To be fraudulent or
unauthorized, pending a complete exami-
nation, giving notice TO the pensioners IN
order that they might have an opportuni-
" 10 establish, II possible, the justice or
their claims, Notwithstanding apparent
invaidity
This [ understand is the practice which
has for a long time prevailed IN the PEN
sion Bureau. but after entering upon the
! recent investigation the commissioner
modified this rule so as not To allow, until
after a complete examination. Interior
ence with the payment of a pension APP
parently not altogether void, but which
merely had been fixed at a rate higher
than that authorized by law.
PENSION FRAUDS.
I am unable 10 understand why frauds
IN the pension-rols should not be exposed
and corrected with thoroughness and
vlgor. Every name fraudulently put upon
these rolls Is a wicked imposition upon
the kindly sentiment I'm which pensions
have their origin. Every fraudulent PEN
| slOner has become a bad citizen; every
false oath I'm support Of a pension has
made perjury more common, ana false
and undeserving pensioners rob the peo-
pla not only of their money but of that
| natriotic honor which the survivors OF a
war fought for the preservation or the
Union ought 70 inspire
Thousands Of neighborhoods have their
weI-known fraudulent pensioners. and re-
cent developments by the bureau estab-
lish appalling conspiracies 10 accomplish
, pension frauds by no means the least
wrong done is to brave and deserving PEN
sioners, who certainly ought not to be
condemned TO such association
Those who attempt In the line or duty
10 rectify these wrongs should not be
accused OF enmty or indifference 10 the
claims of honest veterans.
The sum expended on account OF pen
sions for the year ending June 30, 1893.
was Sl56.7 iO4671i The Commissioner esti-
mates that slgj 100000 will be required Ia
nav pensions during the year ending June
30, 1894.
THE INDIANS.
The condition Of the Indians and their
ultimate fate are subjects which are re-
lated TO a sacred duty of the government
and which strongly appeal TO the sense oil
Justice and the sympathy OF our people
our Indians number about 2B,OO. Mos
of them are located on l6l reservations
containing s6,ll6.531 acres Of land. Abou
10000 OF these Indians have to larg'
degree adopted civilized customS, ant
lands I'm severalty have been allotted q
many of them Such allotments have beer
made 20 10000 individuals during the las
fiscal year. embracing 100000 acres.
The number OF Indian government