Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-15

new unarmored cruisers and two new
/ gun-boats have also been commission
ed. The Iowa, another battleship will
be completed about March l, and at
! least four more gunboats viii be ready
| for sea in the early spring.
! 1t is gratifying to state that our
J ships and their outfits are believed to
be equal to the best that can be man
| ufactured elsewhere, and that such no.
| table reductions have been made in
| their cost as to justify the statement
| that quite a number of vessels are
| now being constructed at rates as low
as the that prevail in European ship
yards.
Our manufacturing facilities are at
| this time ample for all possible naval
contingencies. Three of our government
| navy yards, those at Mare Island. Cal,
| Norfolk, Va, and Brooklyn, N. Y, are
| equipped for ship building. our ordnance
| plant in Washington is equal to any
In the world, and at the to ~pedo sta
, ton We are successfully making the
highest grades of smokeless powder.
Three first-class private ship yards. at
| Newport News, Philadelphia, and San
Francisco. are building battle ships;
eleven contractors, situated in the states
of Maine, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and
Ing gun-boats or torpedo boats,
Two plants are manufacturing large
quantities of first-clasS armor and
American factories are producing al
tomobide torpedoes, powder pro1ec-
| tiles, rapid-fire guns, and everything
else necessary for the complete outht
of naval vessels.
There have been authorized by con-
gress since March, 1893. five battle
ships, six light draft gunboats, sixteen
torpedo boats and one submarine tor
pedo boat. Contracts for the building
of all of them have been let The sec
rotary expresses the opinion that we
have for the present a sufficient sup
ply of cruisers and gunboats, and that
hereafter the construction of battle
ships and torpedo boats will supply
our needs.
Much attention has been given to the
| methods of carrying on departmental
business. Important notifications in
the regula tons have been made, tend
ing to unity the control of ship-bulld-
ing, as far as may be, under the bu-
reau of construction and repair, ana
also to improve the mode of purchasing
supplies for the navy by the bureau or
supplies and accounts. The establish
ment. under recent acts of congress, or
a supply fund with which to purchase
these supplies in large quantities, ana
other notifications of methods, have
and better quality.
Pensions.
The diminution of our enormous PEN
sion roll and the decrease OF pension ex-
penditure which have been so often
confidently foretold, still fail In materl-
al realization The number of pension
ers on the rolls at the close of the fiscal
year, ended June 80, 1896, was 97O,67S.
This is the largest number ever report
ed. The amount paid exclusively Tor
the pensions during the year was WIS.,
PA, 761. "a, a slight decrease from that OF
the preceding year, while the total eX-
penditures on account of pensions, in
Guiding the cost of maintaining the de-
partment and expenses attending pen
sion distribution amounted to $l42,206,-
55059, or within very small traction
of one-third of the entire expense or
supporting the government during the
same year. The number Of new pen
sion certificates issued was 9O.64O. OF
these, 40,374 represent original allow
ances of claims and l5.S7S increases OF
existing pensions.
The number Of persons receiving pen
sions from the United States, but re-
siding in foreign countries at the close
of the last fiscal year, was 3.7Sl. and
the amount paid to them during the
year was 1882 1858.
The sum appropriated for the pay
ment of pensions for the current fiscal
year ending June 30, 1897, is $40, 000,
co, and for thes ucceeding year il is
estimated that the same amount will
be necessary.
Civil Service Reform.
The progress made in civil service
reform furnishes a cause for the ut
most congratulations. 1t has survived
the doubts of it's friends as well as the
rancor OF it's enemies and has gained
permanent place among the agencies
destined to cleanse our politics and to
improve, economize and elevate the
public service.
There are now in the competitive
classified service upward of eighty-four
thousand places. More than half Of
these have been included from time to
time since March A, 1898. A most radi-
cal and sweeping extension was made
by executive order dated the 9Th day
of May, 1896, and If fourth class post
masterShipS are not included in the
statement it may be said that practical
ly all positions contemplated by the
civil service law are now classified.
Abundant reasons exist for including
these postmasterships, based upon
economy, improved service and the
peace and quiet of neighborhoods. If,
however, obstacles prevent such ac-
ton at present, / earnestly hope that
congress will, without increasing post
office appropriations, so adjust them as
to permit in proper cases a consolda-
ton of these postofficeS. to the end that
through this process the result desired
may to limited extent be accom-