The morning call., 1894-12-04

| ending June 80, 1896 should fall below The
| estimates for the coming year by at least
| $12,000.000.
The Secretary presents with much earnest
ness plea for the authorization OF three add
tlonal battle ships and ten or twelve torpedo
6oafs. While the unarmOred vessels hereto
! lore authorized, including those now nearing
| completion, will constitute fleet which, II is
| believed, is sufficient for ordinary cruising pur-
| poses i'll time of peace, we have now COM
| pleted and in process of cons ruction but TOUR
nrsI-claSs batte-ships and but TWO torpedo
| boats. Ii we re TO have navy for warlke
! operations, offensive ana defensive we GER
| talnly ought TO increase both the number OF
| battIe-ships and torpedoboats.
The manufacture OF iron requires an expeu-
| slye plant ana the aggregation OF many skilled
W0rkmen. All the armOr necessary 10 COM
plete the vessels now building will D. delivered
| before the Isl of June next. II no new con-
! tracts are given out contractors must dlSOand
| their Workmen and their plants must lie idle.
Battle ships authorized at this time would not
be well under way until late In the coming fiscal
! year, and al least three and half years from
he date OF contract would be required fol- their
completion. The Secretary states that not more
than 10 per cent of the cost of such ships need
be Included IN the appropriation for the coming
| year. recommend that provision be made for
the construction Of additional battle ships and
| torpedo-b0atS.
The Secretary recommends the manufacture
not only of ordnance and ordnance mat rial for
| ships for The navy, but supply for the auXil-
larry fleet OF guns, and their appurtenanceS
should be provided and Kept on hand for both
| these purposes. We have not to-day a single
gun that could be put on he ships Paris or New
York OF The International Navigation Company
or any other ship of our reserve navy. The
manufacture OF guns at the Washington Navy
yard is proceeding satisfactorily, and none Of
our new ships Will be required TO walt Tor their
guns or ordnance equipment.
An important orGer has been issued by the
secretary OF Inc Navy co-ordlnatlng the duties
OF the several bureaus concerned IN The con-
Struction of ships This order, it is believed,
VIII secure 10 greater extent than mas hereto
fore been possible the harmonious action OF
/
ment of the best results more certain.
During the pass year there has been an I'M
usual and pressing demand III many quarters
OF the world for The presence OF vessels 10
guard American interests. In January last
during the Brazilian insurrecti0n, large lie ct
was concentrated IN The barbOr of Rio de ia.
metro. The vigorous action OF Rear-Admral
Benham In protecting the personal and conf
mefcial rights OF our citizens during the dis
| turbed conditions afforded results which Will,
1t is believed, have d far-reaching and whole
some influence whenever in like circumstances
1t MY become necessary for our naval COM
manders 10 interfere on behalf of our people in
foreign ports. The war now in progress be-
tween China and Japan has rendered ii neces-
sarY or eXpedent TO dispatch eight vessels TO
those WaerS.
Transfer the Coast Survey.
rotary OF the Treasury recommend the
transfer of the work of the coast
survey proper TO the Navy Department.
Excluding Alaska and il very small area
besides, all the work of mapping and cnarting
our coast has been completed. The hydro
graphic WORK, which must be done over and
over again by reason of the shifting and vary
ing depths of water consequent upon the action
OF streams and tides, has heretofore been done
under the direction of naval officers In subordl-
nation the superintendent of the coast sur
Vey. There seems TO be no good reason why
the navy should not have entire charge here
graphic office OF the Navy Department is now
ana has been for many years engaged in maxi
ing efficient maps entirely similar 10 those pre-
pared by the coast survey.
Promotion in the Navy.
feel il my imperative duty to call attention
to the recommendation of the Secretary in re-
gard 10 the personnel OF the line of the navy.
The staguation of promotion in this, the vital
branch OF the service, Is so q eat as 10 iOusy
impair its efficiency. l consider 1t of the utmost
! importance that the young ana middle-aged
! officers should, before the eve of retirement, be
| permitted TO reach grade emitting them to
| active and important duty.
| The system adopted few years ago regulat.
| ing tn employment OF labor at the navy-yards
! Is TlgIdly upheld, and has fully demonstrated
It's usefulness and efficiency. IL is within the
domain OF civil servlca reform, inaSmuch as
! workmen are employed through a board of
labor selected at each naVy-yard, aud are given
work without reference to politics and in lie
! order OF their application, preference, however,
! being given TO army and navy veterans and
! those having former maynard experience.
! Amendments, suggested by experience, have
| been made to the rules regulating the system.
! Through It's operation the work in our navy
! yards has been improved in efficiency, ana the
| opportunity 10 Work has been honestly and
| fairly afforded to willing and competent appli-
| cants. Its hoped that II this system continues
! to be strictly adhered to, there will soon be, as
a natural consequence, such an equalization of
! party benefit as Will remove all temptation to
| relax or abandon IL.
Aoke smiths Report.
The report of the Secretary of the Interior
exhibits the situation OF The numerous and in-
! teTeSting branches OF the public service con-
| nected with his department. | commend this
report and The valuable recommendations of
| the Secretary to the careful attention OF
! Congress. The public land disposed OF during
! the year amounted 10 1O,408, 100.77 acres,
including 2S.567.O5 of Indian lands. IL is
| estimated that the pubic domain Still remain
| ing amounts 10 a little more than 100000, 900
| acres, excluding, however, about 360,O00,O 900
! acres in Alaska, we'll as military reserYa-
! lions and railroad and other sections of lands
yet unadjudicated. The total cash receipts
! from the sale of lands amounted to 81, 674-
285 10. including S9l ,981 o3 received for
| Indian lands IhlrGy-Hve thousand patents
were issued for agricultural land and BOO
! patents were Issued Indians on alotments Of
| their lands in severaty, the land so allotted
! being inalienable by the Indian allotteeS for a
| period of twenty-five years alter patent.
There were certified and patented on account
year 500, 55645 acres of land. and al The
| close OF The year 29,0O0,000 acres were EN-
! braced IN the lists of selections made by rail-
| road and Wagon-r0ad companies aud awaiting
and that taken as indemnify therefor since The
| passage of the act providing for the same in
| 1S49 amount to nearly or quite 80, SOC, 600
| acres, OF which 58. O00,00O have been paten ed
| to States. About 1873, 900 acres were patented
during The last year. nearly $4,000 acres of
school and educational grants were approved
during the year and at its close 1880 $685.
acres remained unadjuSted.
1t appears that the appropriation for the cur
| rent year on account of special service for the
| protection of the public lands and The timber
| thereon is much less than those for previous
years and is inadequate for an efici-nt per-
| Torrance OF the work. larger sum of money
| Than has been appropriated during number of
! years past on this account has been returned
! TO The Government as a result of the labOrs OF
| those employed il the particular service men,
| TONED and l hope il will not be crippled by in
| Suhcient appropriation.
fully indorse the recommendations of the
Secretary that adequate appropriation should
be provided for our forest reserves aud that a
comprehensive forestry system be inaugurated,
and such keepers and superlnIendents as are
necessary To protect the forests already re-
served should be provided. l am of the opinion
that there should be an Abandonment of the pol
| Icy maintained by present laws ana under which
! the Government, for very small conSdera-
ton, Is rapidly losing title TO immense tracts of
| land covered with timber. which should be
| properly reserved as a permanent source of