Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-29

Mr.. Pickler said: lit seems that there
is no effort to improve the service for
country people," and on the same day
Mr. Loud, chairman of the House COM
mittee on postoflices and postroads, said
i'm the course of the debate:
The Increase In the appropriations for the
star route service during the last four years
has arisen from the fact that money was
taken from that service aud devoted TO reg
ulation, screen, and other wagon service.
In other words. while you gentlemen from
the country have been persistentiy lncfeas-
ing appropriations for the star route service,
all OF that Increase has been used In the
large cities.
In fact. the amount thus diverted dur
ing the last fiscal year was S6IOOOO,
whereas the increase in the apprOpra-
ton for country mail service was only
$500, 900: so that Notwithstanding the
successful efforts of the friends of the
farmers TO secure an appropriation to
better his mail service, there was actual
ly less money spent on that service than
before because the Democratic admins
tration of the postotlice department used
elsewhere, as it has in previous years,
the money specifically appropriated for
the Improvement of country mail service.
This is in striking contrast with the
Republican administration of the post
office department. Mr.. Wanamaker Sc
cured appropriations for experiments in
free mail delivery in villages and he
faithfully expended these appropriations.
In a communication 10 the Senate he
stated that after making an allowance
equal to the previous average annual
increase of the business of the Offices IL
was found that the increase of the bust
ness of the Offices due to the free daily
delivery had more than paid for that
delivery. In some cases the profit from
free delivery was quite large. In New
Canaan, Conn, for example, the village
in which free daily delivery was first in.
troduced, and in which the experiments
were conducted for five years, the aver
age annual income of the office was
1923, while the free delivery cost only
5000 A business that yields an average
annual profit of 1912 per cent, part of
the period being time OF panic and de-
preston. is a good business indeed; yet
the present administration of the post
office department has discontinued the
free delivery in the villages in which 1t
was established by Mr.. Wanamaker.
The results from experiments in VIII
lagos indicated as Mr.. Wanamaker fore
saw that they would, the practicability
of free daily delivery TO farmers. and
he secured from the Fifty-second Con-
gress an appropriation for experiments
in free mail delivery to farmers. and an
appropriation for this purpose was made
by the Fifty-third Congress at both
StSSlnllS. ne ldllEudEt u the GppEO-
priations was mandatory. but both Mr..
Bissell and Mr.. Wilson have refused 10
expend these appropriations. The mail
has become a very important factor in
the prosperity, welfare and enjoyment
of the people. In the attitude of the
Republican and Democratic administra-
tons toward rural mail service and the
efforts made to improve it, the farmer
will find excellent aid in deciding for
which party 10 vote.
Who Forfcits Land Grants?
For some years the farmers of the
country have been demanding that the
grants of lands to aid in the construction
of certain railroads, should be declared
forfeited where the conditions of the
grants had not been complied with. The
Fifty-frst Congress-the first Congress
Republican in both branches since the
demands for the annulment of these
grants had been made-at its first SEES.
sion enacted a law
That there Is hereby forfeited 10 the
United States. and the United States hereby
resumes the title thereto, all lands hereto
fore granted 10 any state or to any corpora
ton to aid I'm the construction of railroad
opposite TO and cotermlnous with the por-
tion OF any such railroad not now completed
and in operation, for the construction or
benefit OF which such lands were granted
and all such lands are declared TO be part
of the public domain.
HIS law SHOulu nave mutH weight
with the farmer in determining what
ticket he will vote, for. aside from re-
storing considerable areas to the public
domain to the profit Of the national treas
ury. it showed that Republican Con-
gress did not fear to enact righteous laws
for the people and against some of the
most powerful corporations in the coun-
try-in marked contrast to the subservi-
ency to trusts and corporations of the
Democratic Congress that we have had
since
who Opened Foreign Markets?
For some years certain European ma
tions-one of which, at least.s while
preaching free trade. practiced the pro-
lection of certain farm products 10 the
extent of prohibitory decrees-had ex-
cluded our animal products and live ami
mails for their markets or had subjected
them to veXatious and profit destroying
regulations, because ii was alleged, they
were frequently unwholesome or dis
eased Our farmers were well aware
that this allegation was an untruthful
subterfuge. and they demanded such in
spection of our slaughtered animals and
live animals offered for export that for
eign governments could not plead disease
among our animals as Justification for
excluding those products of our farms
from their markets. Everyone familiar
with our live stock interests, knows that
this was n matter of great moment to
them. The Fifty-irst Congress, that did
so much for the farmer, made meat in
spection laws that fully met the wishes
of our stock raisers, and that being
faithfully administered by Secretary
Rusk, accomplished all that was expect
ed of them. Ii is unfortunate that by
his own utterances and actions the pres
ent secretary of agriculture should have
shown a different attitude toward those
wise laws. In determining which ticket
he shall vote, the farmer will certainly
compare the department of agriculture
under Secretary Rusk with il under his
successor, who began his career rs sec
rotary Of agriculture by insulting organ
lied farmers, and who has made the
truly remarkable record of not missing
even one opportunity to show. along with
his total lack of sympathy with farmers,
not only his complete ignorance of our
agricultural interests. but either an utter
iEcapacity or completely successful in
disposition to learn.
16 to 1 Not Wanted.
The currency plank of the Chicago
platform certainly does not express the
sentiments of the National Grange: and
nj it's last annual meeting. in Atlanta.
Ca, October 10-16, 1895. the Farmers
National congress voted down all of the
rs to | free silver coinage resolutions
presented, and adopted resolutions in
which it declared that il was emphatical-