Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-12-06

our own in the ample fields Of competition
abroad. SIN
Domestic Affairs.
The reports of the American Secre-
taries are reviewed In practically the
same shape as they have already APP
reared h the news dispatches given In
these columns. Speaking of military and
naval equipment, the President says:
The skill and industry of our ordnance
officers and inventors have. 1t II believed,
overcome the mechanical obstacles which
have heretofore delayed the armament of
our coasts, and this great national under
taking upon which we have entered may
now proceed as rapidly as Congress- may
determine. With supply of finished
guns of large calibre already on hand,
to which additions should now rapidly
follow, the wisdom of providing carriages
and emplacemcnts for their mount can
not be too strongly urged. The Secre-
tary presents with much earnestness a
plea for the authorization of three addi-
tional battleships and ten or twelve tor
pedo boats. If we are to have a navy
for warlike operations, offensive and de-
fensive, we certainly ought to increase
both the number of battleships and tor
pedo boats. The Secretary states that
not more than Is per cent of the cost OF
such ships need be Included In the APP
preparations for the coming year. 1 rec
ommend that provision be made for the
construction of additional battleships and
torpedo boats.
Reserve Supplies Necessary.
The Secretary recommends the manu-
facture not only of reserve supply OF
ordnance and ordnance material for ships
of the navy, but also q supply for the
auxiliary feet. Guns and their appur-
tenances should be provided and kept on
hand for both these purposes. We have
not to-day a single gun that could be put
upon the Paris or New York, of the In
ternational Navigation Company, or any
other ship of our reserve navy. The man.
ufacture of guns at the Washington Navy
Yard is proceeding satisfactorily, and
none of our new ships will be required
to wait for their guns or ordnance equip
ment.
Both the Secretary of the Navy and
the Secretary of the Treasury recommend
the transfer of the work of the Coast
Survey proper to the Navy Department
/ heartily concur in this recommends
ton.
On the Pension Rolls.
At the close of the last fiscal year, on
the Both day of June, 1894, there were
969,544 persons on our pension rolls, be-
ing net increase of 1852 over the num-
Der reported ut the end of the previous
year. OF these pensioners 32,O39 are sur
viving soldiers of Indian and other wars
prior to the late civil war, and the wild
ows who are relatives of such soldiers.
The remainder, numbering 937 ,505, are
receiving pensions on account of the war
of the rebellion, and of these 1863, 344 are
on the rolls under the authority Of the
act of June 81, 1890, sometimes called
the dependent pension law.
The total amount expended for pensions
during the year was $139, 800, 461 90,
leaving an unexpended balance from the
sum appropriated of So, 205, 1926. The
sum necessary to meet pension expendi-
lures for the year ending June 80, 1896,
is estimated at $140,OOO,OO0.
The Commissioner Of Pensions is of the
opinion that the year 1895 must, accord
ing to all sensible human calculation, see
the highest limit of the pension roll. The
claims pending in the bureau have de-
creased more than 10000 during the
year. A large proportion of the new
claims filed are for increase of pension
by those now on the rolls. The number
of certificates issued was S0,213. The
names dropped from the rolls for all
causes during the year numbered 1881.
Among our pensioners are nine widows
and three daughters of soldiers of the
revolution, and forty-five survivors of the
war of 1872.
The barefaced and extensive pension
frauds exposed under the direction of the
courageous and generous veteran soldier
now at the head of the bureau leave no
room for the claim that no purgation of
our pension rolls was needed. The accu-
sation that an effort to detect pension
frauds is evidence of unfriendliness to-
wards our worthy veterans and denial
of their claims to the generosity of the
Government suggests an unfortunate in
difference to the commission of any of
Tense which has for motive the securing
of pension and indicates a willingness
to be blind to the existence of mean and
treacherous crimes which play upon dem
agogic fears and make sport of the patri-
otto impulse of a grateful people.
Recommendations of the Secretary of
Agriculture are concurred in, and the adj
mirable work of the Weather Bureaus
and the life-saving service is warmly
praised.
Inspecting Meat Exported.
The appropriation to the Bureau of
Animal Industry was $S5O,OOO and the
expenditures for the year were only
S495, 1924, thus leaving unexpended
$500, 570.76. The inspection. of beef ami
mails for export and interstate trade has
been continued and 1894 5G head were
inspected during the year at cost of ~
cents per head, against Az cents for 1893.
The amount of pork microscopically ex-
amined 80, 437 1887 pounds, against 90
617, 41O pounds in the preceding year.
The cost of this inspection has been d.
minished from SA cents per head in 1893
to 6% cents i'm 1894. The Secretary of
Agriculture recommends the law provid-
ing for the microscopic inspection of ex-
port and interstate meat be so amended
as to compel owners of the meat inspected
to pay the cost of such inspection, and
call attention to the arguments presented
in his report in support of this recommen-
dalton. The scientific inquiries of the
Bureau of Animal Industry have prog
ressed steadily during the year.
Agricultural experimentation.
The Office of experiment stations, which
is a part of the United States Department
of Agriculture, has during the past year
engaged itself almost wholly in prepar-
Ing for publication works based upon the
reports of agricultural experiment sta
tons and other institutions for agricultu-
raj inquiry in the United States and other
countries.