The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-12
ais and discipline of the troops.

The total expenditures for the War
Department for the year ended june
30, 1894, amounted to $50, ,039, ,009. "a
Of this sum 2,0OO, 61499 was for sala
ries and contingent expenses, $23, $685.
156. 16 for the support of the military
establishment, $5,001, ,68223 for mis-
cellaneous objects and $25, 81 555: sc
for public works. This latter sum in
cludes $19, ,494. OBJ. 40 for river and ha
Dor Improvements and $3,947, S13. sc
for defense. The appropriations fol
the current year aggregate S52, 429,'
112.7S, and the estimates submitted by
the Secretary of War for the next fis
cal year call for appropriations
amounting to S52,31S, ,629.55.
POSTAL OPERATIONS.
The report of the Postmaster Gen
eral presents a comprehensive state
ment of the operations of the Postoffice
Department for the last fiscal year
The receipts of the department during
the year amounted to SIS, ,0S0, 479. 04
and the expenditures to $S4, 324, 414. Is
The transactions of the postal service
indicate with barometic certainty the
fluctuations in the business of the
country. Inasmuch, therefore, as
business complications continued tc
exist throughout the last year to an
unforeseen extent, it is not surprising
that the deficiency of revenue to meet
the expenditures of the Postoftice De
partment, which was estimated in ad.
vance at about 100000, should be
exceeded by nearly 81, ,250, 900.
The total number of postottices In
the United States on the 30th day OF
June 1894, was 50, sos, an increase OF
1 ,4O3 over the preceding year. OF
these, 3,42S were Presidential, an in
crease in that class of sixty-eight
over the preceding year. Six hundred
and ten cities and towns are provided
with free delivery. Ninety-three other
cities and towns entitled to this service
under the law have not been accorded
it on account of insufficient funds.
The expense of free delivery for the
current fiscal year will be more than
s12, 800, 900, and under existing legisla.
ton this item of expenditures subject
to constant increase. The estimated
cost of rural free delivery generally is
so very large that it ought not to be
considered in the present condition OF
affairs. During the year $50 addition
al domestic money order Offices were
established. The total number of
these offices at the close of the year
was 19,264. There were 14,304, ,041
money orders issued during the year,
being an increase over the preceding
year of 994, 306. The value of these
orders amounted to S13S, 793, 579. AZ, an
increase of S11,217, 1854. There
were also issued during the year postal
notes amounting to $12,649, ,094. S..
During the year 21S international
money order offices were added to
to those already established, making a
total of 1926, of such Offices in opera
ton June 80, 1894. The number of
money orders issued dur
ing the year was 917, 1923, a decrease in
of 1873, ,176, and their value
was $13.792.455.31, a decrease in
amount of 50, $40, 1885. The number
of orders paid was 361, 1S0, anincrease
over the preceding year of 80, 203, and
their value was Sc, 56S, 493. .78, an in
crease of 81, ,2S5, 11S.0S. From the fore
going statements it appears that the
total issue of money orders and postal
notes for the year amounted to $685.
235. 1885. The number of letters and
packages mailed during the year for
special delivery was 3,436,970. The
special delivery stamps used upon
these letters and packages amounted
to S343,6 697. The messengers fees paid
for their delivery amounted to $261, :
2O9.7O, leaving balance in favor of
the government of $S2, 4S7,30 The re-
port shows most gratifying results in
the way of economies worked out with
out affecting the efficiency of the pos
tai service.
There are now connected with the
postofice establishent 80, 661 employees
who are in the classified service. This
includes many who have been classified
upon the suggestion of the Postmaster
General. He states that another years
experience at the head of the depart
ment serves only to strengthen the
conviction as to the excellent working
of the civil service law in this branch
of the public service.
PUBLIC LANDS AND PENSIONS.
The public land disposed of during
the year amounted to 10,406, 100.W
acres. including 2S,S76.05 of Indian
lands. 1t is estimated that the public
domain still remaining amounts to a
little more than 600, 900, 900 acres, ex-
cluding, however, about 360,000,0 900
acres in Alaska, as we'll as military
reservations and railroad and other
selections of land yet unadjudicated.
The total cash receipts from the sale
of lands amounted to 50, ga, 2S5. 79, in
S91, 1881. .O3 received for Indian
lands. Thirty-five thousand patents
were issued to Indians on allotments
of their holdings in severalty. The
land so allotted being inalienable by
the Indian allottee and for period of
twenty-five years after patent, there
were certified and patented on account
of railroad and wagon road grants
during the year So, ,556.45 acres Of
land, and at the Gloss of the
year 29,000,000 acres were en-
braced in the lists of selections by rail
road and wagon road companies and
awaited settlement. The selection of
swamp lands and that taken as indem-
nifty therefor since the passage of the
act providing for the same in 1S49
to nearly or quite $4,000, 900
acres, of which $4,000, 900 have been
patented to States. 'Abut 13S, 600 acres
were patented during the last year.