The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-08

gress, for the postofice departp,cS con-
will permit the Postmaster Ctena'; az
proceed with the work OF eonsol5,1t %
postoilces. This work has ALREADY haos
entered upon sufficiently 10 fully oee"
strate, by experiment and experienoo e'iioa-
such consolidation is productive of ia. aI
service, larger revenues and less a, Set1ef'
lures to say nothing of the fnfnra
vantage or gradually withdrawing ny
offices from the spoils system. Pose-'
The Universal Postal Union. which
embraces all the civilized wor,G now
whose delegates will represent Ooo ose aug
people, Will hold it's fifth congress- 'i9o'lVV
city of Washington in May. 1897 T me
United States may be said to have tHe
the initiative which led to the FIRST Aeu
ing of this congress- at Berne i, meet rec.
and the formation of the Universal pos.aS
Union which brings the postal service -
all countries to every mans neipbhorL,ol
and has wrought marvels in cheanarjSA
postal rates and securing absolutely, Us
mail communication Throughout
world. Previous congresses have mot t
Berne, Paris, Lisbon and Vienna. ana IN IN
respective countries in which they -
assembled have made generous provieioS
for their accommodation and for tbe va
ception and entertainment of the deIe
gates.
In view of the Importance of this 90
semblage and Of its deliberations and oe.
the honors and inequalities accorded ~
our representatives by other countries IN
similar occasions, ] earnestly hone tha+
such an appropriation viii be made far
the expenses necessarily attendant unon
the coming meeting in our capital citv
as will be worthy of our national hosni.
tally and indicative of our appreciates,
of the event.
NAVAL DEPARTMENT..
The work of the navy department ana
its present condition are fully exhibited in
the report of the secretary.
The construction of vessels for our new
navy has been energetically prosecuted
by the present administrator upon the
general lines previously adopt ed, the de-
partment having seen no necessity for
radical changes in prior methods under
which the work was found to be progress
ing in q manner highly satisfaeto tory, II
has been decided, however, to provide in
every ship-building contract tn at the
builder should pay all trial expenses, and
it has also been determined to psyy no
speed premiums in future contracts The
premiums recently earned and some yet
to be decided, are features of the con-
tracts made before this conclusion was
reached.
On march 4. 1898, there were in commits
sion but two armored vessels, the double
turreted monitors Miantonomoh and Mon
terey. Since that date, of vessels there.
tofore authorized. there have been placed
in their first commission three first-class
and two second-class battleships, two arm
ored cruisers. one harbor defense ram and
hve double-turreted monitors. including.
the Maine and the Puritan, Just complet-
ed. Eight new unarm cruisers and
two new sunboats have also been commits
stoned The Iowa, another battleship.
will be completed about March /, and at
least four more gunboats will be ready,
for sea in the early spring.
1t is gratifying to state that Our Shios
and their outfits are believed to be equal
to the best that can be manufactured else
where, and that such notable reductions
| have been made in their cost as to Justify
| the statement that quite number OF YES
| sells are now being constructed at rates
| as low as those that prevail in European
| shipyards.
Our manufacturing facilities are at this
| time ample for all possible naval contn-
| gencies. Three of our government navy
| yards, those at Mare Island. Californi1
Norfolk, Va, and Brooklyn, ~ Y, are
| equipped for shipbuilding: our ordnance
| plant in Washington is equal to any in the
| world, and at the torpedo station we are
successfully making the highest grades Of
| smokeless powder. The first-class qri-
| vate shipyards at Newport News, Phla-
| delphia and San Francisco are building
| battleships; eleven contractors, situated
| in the states of Maine Rhode Island
| Pennsylvania, New Jersey, MARYLAND. Viz
| ginia and the state of Washington. are
| constructing gunboats or torpedo boats:
| TWO plants are manufacturing large
| quantities of frst-elass armor and Amer
| lean factories are producing automobile
| torpedoes, powder, projectiles, rapid fire
| guns and everything else necessary for
| the complete outfit of naval vessels.
| There have been authorized by congress
| since March, 1893, five battleships, six light
| draught gunboats sixteen torpedo boats
and one submarine torpedo boat. Con-
9Nf1 ffRta AI-x .4N.1s..
| been let. The secretary expresses the
| opinion that we have for the present a
| sut1cient supply of cruisers and gunboat,,
| and that hereafter the construction OF
| oattleships and torpedo boats will supply
| our needs.
Much attention has been given to the
methods of carrying on the department
| business. Important notifications in the
| regulations have been made tending to
| unity the control of ship building as far
| as may be under the bureau of construc-
| ton and repair, and also to improve the
mode of purchasing supplies for the navy
| by the bureau OF supplies and account. The
| establishment under recent acts of con-
gress, of a supply fund, with which to pur-
| chase these supplies in large quantities
and other notifications of methods. have
tended materially TO their cheapening and
| better quality.
The war college has developed into an in
i
| great value to the navy, in teaching the
science of war, as well as in stimulating
| professional zeal in the navy, and it Will
be especially useful in the devising or
| plans for the utilization, in case of neces-
sity, of all the naval resources of the
| United States.
| The secretary has persistentiy adhered
to the plan he found i'm operation for Sc
curing labor at navy yards through boaras
Of labor employment, and has done mucn
to make it more complete and efhclen,-
| The naval officers who are familiar WIN
this system and its operation express uno
decided opinion that its results have Desh
to vastly improve the character OF ~
work done at our yards and greatly reuue0
| its cost. ~
The discipline among the ofheers sDa
men of the navy has been maintained 70
high standard and the percentage OF Alle.h
ican citizens enlisted has been very mucA
| increased. SO
The secretary is considering, ana WI.
| formulate during the coming Wih tearo-
T.