The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-05
THE MORNING NEWS: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1893

I WdIIUIaI WIUWCV
| order orf1ces we're added to those already pro
( yided. making a total OF 2,407 in operation on
/ June 80. 1873, The amber of International
money orders Issued during the year was
! l,u15 .ss9, an Increase over the preceding year
OF p ,h25, and their value was SI634l SS7 Sc an
increase OF 81 ri 500 81. The number of orders
/ paldswas SO09iT. an increase over the proceed
/ ing year OF 1888 and their value was S5 2s3,
/ 80 20, an increase Of S94, 094 So.
From the foregoing statements IL appears
! that the total issue OF money orders and
| SCI 3iS p.
! The number OF letters and packages mailed
during the year for special delivery was 1919
| 693, an increase over the previous wear OF
nearly .. per cent. The special delivery
| stamps used upon these letters and pa. lxlee S
amounted to 1887 5000. and the messe ugers'
lees paid for their delivery amounted to $50
~ q, leaving profit TO the government Of
The rail way mail service not only adds TO
! the promptuess of mail delivery at all Offices,
! but II IS the especial mStrumentality which
| puts the smaller and way places in the ser
! vice on an equality in that regard
with the larger and terminal Offices.
| This branch Of the postal service has there
| fore received much attention from the Post
| master General and though it is gratifying
! to know that 1t is ina condition OF high efic-
! ency and great usefulness am led to agree
| with the Postmaster General that there is
room for Its further Improvement. There are
| now connected with the pOStofficc establish
| ment y, 334 employees who are in the classified
service. The head of this great department
| gives conclusive evidence OF the value of civil
| service reform when, after an experience
| that renders his judgment on the subject alb
| Solutely relia ole, he expresses the opinion
| that without the benefit OF this system il
would be impossible to conduct the vast bust
| ness intrusted to him.
l de ire to commend, as especially worthy
| OF prompt attention, the suggestions of the
| Postmaster General relating to more SenSi-
bic and business like organizatio and bet
ter distribution OF responsibility in his de-
| partment.
NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The report OF the Secretary OF the Navy
contains history OF the operations Of his
department during the past year. and exhibits
most gratifying condition OF the personnel
OF our navy. He presents a satisfactory ac-
count OF the progress which has been made in
the construction OF vessels. and makes NUM-
! Der Of recommendations to which attention
is especially invited.
During the past six months the demands
FOR cruising vessels have been many and
urgent. There nave been revolutions calling
Tor vessels TO protect American interests in
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica. Honduras
Argentine and Brazil, while the condition OF
affairs in Honolulu has Tequited the constant
presence OF one or more ships With all these
calls upon our navy it becomes necessary, in
order tomake up a sufficient feet, to patrol
the Behrtng sea under the modus vivendi
agreed uDOn with (}ceat Britain. to detail to
thatservice one vessel from the fish commits
| sion, and three from the revenue marine.
Progress In the construction of new vessels
/ mas not DtHn as rapid as was Huil aiDate0.
There have been delays in the completion OF
unarmOred vessels. but for the most part they
! have been such as are constantly occurring
even in countries having the largest expert
| ence In naval snip building. The most Seri-
| Gus delays, however, have been in the work
! upon the armored ships. The trouble has
been the failure of the contractors to deliver
armor as agreed. The difficulties seem to
have been all overcome, and armor Is being
delivered with satisfactory promptness.
As result OF the experience acquired by
ship builders and designers and material men,
II Is believed that the dates when vessels will
be completed can now be estimated with
reasonable accuracy.
Great guns. rapid-nre guns, torpedoes and
powder are being promptly supplied.
THE NEW SHIPS
The following vessels of the new navy have
| been completed, and are now ready for SER
vice: The double turreted coast defense mon
itOr NJ .antonomoh, the double turreted coast
defense monitor Monterey the armOred
cruiser New York the protected or Users Bal
timOre, Chicago, Philadelphia, Ne EarlI, San
Francisco, Charleston, Atlanta and Boston;
the cruiser Detroit the gunbOats Yorktown
| Concord, Bennington, Machias. Castine and
Petrol; the dispatch vessel Dolphin; the prac-
tice vessel Bancroft and the dynamite gun
boat Nesuvius OF these the Bancroft, Mach
| las Detroit and CaSttne have been placed in
| commission during the current calendar year
The following vessels are III process Of con
| Structton: The second class battle ships
! Maine and Texas, the cruisers MONTGOMERY
and MaTblehead. and the coast defense
| Monitors, Terror Puritan. Amphitrite and
| Monadnock. all Of which will be completed
| within one year; the harbor defense ram
! hatahdln and the protected cruisers Column
! bia, Minned polls. Olympia, Cincinnati and
! Raleigh, all of which will be completed prior
! TO July /, 1898 the first class battle ships
| Iowa. Indiana, Massachusetts and Oregon.
| which Will be completed Feb. /, 1896 and the
armed cruiser Brooklyn, which will be COM
pleted by Aug. l, of that year. It is also eX-
pected that the three gun boats authorized
by the last congress- will ne MET ed in les =
than two years.
Since 1886. Congress has at each session au-
thOriZed the building Of one or more vessels,
and the Secretary Of the Navy presents an
earnest plea for the continuance OF this plan.
He recommends the authorization of at least
one battle ship and six torpedo boats. While
! am distinctly in tGvOr of consistently pur-
suing the policy we have inaugurated of
building up 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 propriety of
app oprlation at this time 10 begin new work.
The method Of employing mechanical labor
at the navy yards through boards Of labor,
and making efficiency the sole test by which
! laOorers are employed and continued is pro
duClng the best results, and the secretary is
earnestly deYoting himself to its develop
ment. Attention is invited to the statements
| Of his report in regard to the working of the
| system.
THE PENSION ROLLS.
| The Secretary OF the Interior has supcrvis-
| ion of so many important subjects that his
report is of especial value and interest.
On the Both day of June, 1893, there were on
| the pension rolls 9GG or names, an increase of
/ s9,9H over the number on the rolls June 80,
| 1892, or these there were Il widows and
| daughters of revolutionary soldiers 80 sur.
I vivors Of the war of 1872; 5,425
| widows of soldiers OF that war;
| 2l,5tS survivors and widows OF the
Mexican war: 3ss2 survivors and widows Of
/ Indian wars; Isl army nurses and lT5,6i5 sur
| yivOrs and widows and children of deceased
/ soldiers and sailors OF the war Of the belon
! The latter nun DER represents those pensone d
! on account OF disabilities or death resulting
! from army or navy service. The number OF
| who were pensioned under the a It OF June 81
| 1890, which allows pensions on acc cunt of
! death and disability not charReable to army
service. Was 459.l55 The number added to the
! rolls during the year was l23 63i and the num-
| bCr dropped was 30 800
The first payments on pensions allowed
| during the year amounted to S3j. 10 $40 gs
| This includes arrears. or the accumulation
betWeel the time from which the allowance
| OF pension dat Is and the time of actually
granting the certificates. Although the law
| of 1890 permits pensions for disabilities not
| related to military service, yet as a requisite
| TO its benefits a disability must exist inca
| pacitatng applicants. from the performance
! Of manual labor to such a degree as to render
| them unable to earn a support" The eXecu-
! ton OF this law in its early stages does not
| seem TO have been in accord with its true in
tention but towards the close Of the last ad-
m nistration an authoritative construction
was given TO the statute. and since that