Semi=weekly graphic., 1896-12-09

<, Ioth ehe He saNin service it is reported
 .haV the number ofdiSasters to doeumented ssesseis WlIhih the IT. fl of its operations
 during the year V -;v5 s,.fs tthpsc vessels had 1 on board 4oUs persons Of which 4595 were saved and l3 lost Tne value of such yes l sels IS estimated at S.s[ a llG. and of their | &eargoes, & SS S46,Ss m6k ag tue total value | or property imperiled I&,Ty052O. of this amount Sll ,292. 10s ws saved and sl 4s2 j too WAS lost Sixty -set rft of the vessels were totally wrecked. There were besides
 s45 easus ties to small undocamented crafts The number of disasters durng
 tne year exceeded that ot any previous year 1 III the history Of the service, but the saving 1 oi both life and property was greater than | ever before i'll proportion to the value of i tue property involved aAl to the number i ol persons imperiled
 Tho Military.
 The report of the secretary of war ex | hlDlts satisfactory cGmsitiuns in the sever. | al branches ot the PuGnU service iutrusted l to hls charge. The limit of our military 1 iinfce, as ilXed law, iS constantly and read | fly maintained The present diScipline 1 and morals of the art are excellent and
 marked progress and efficiency are appar, i ehI throughout itS entire organization W lth the exception Of delicate duties in l the suppression nj sliet Indian disturb I ahces aiang our soa western boundary
 III WillcH MeNiC.,sl ttt4pS eooDeratpd and
 Che compulsory. buI De ceful, retarn with 1 tue consent ui Great rtidn of a band of ! Creek Indians from Montana to the Brit
 lsh possessions, no aclite operations have
 been required of tAe ,S5ay during the past
 year
 turing tho past year the work of con
 slfuetlhg permanent infantry and cavalry
 posts has h 'en cu.ltinded at the places
 heretofore designated The secretary of
 Wa" repeats hls recommendation that ap.
 Bfopllapons Tor hTtHeks and quarters
 -i. .r tts tf. oi the service Us judged by the departments rather than fespuud ta the wishes and i'm l portunities of localities,
 1t is imperative lfa much of the money 1 provided for such construction should now l be allotted to Gle CT, ton of necessary i quarters for the iarr.sans assigned to tho
 coast defenses, where many men will he
 needed to propery eare for and operate 1 modern guns. lt s essential, too, that early provision be made to supply the nee
 essary force of artillery to meet the de-
 mands of this service.
 1 The entire army has now been eauipped 1 with new magazine arms, and wise policy
 demands that all available public aid an9 1 pflvate resources should be so employed S I l to provide within q reasonable time d sufl l
 cient number te supply the state miT l i With these modern Wetpons and proF q
 an ample reserve for any emergency F. Il l The organized militia numbers Uet2 n | men. The appropriations for it's s49oanl f ] by the several states approximate4 49oWo,- h
 OVo annually and S4Gl,@@ Is coHtrlb b,Vti1s Il
 the general government lhyese a'1i Il shows these troops to be llsu9 vet drilled and inspired with mueR liiltaty interest, but in many instances arc so defclent Tn proper arms andR "Piuo49 $
 that q sudden call to actiysEl{E {,s w3uid 9.,id n lind them lnadeqnatelY pretK 9' % %urht s service. l therefore reCle"ehu littb f
 prompt measures he taken Fcileay thls [ condition and that every ,'llfs'Ssllieil9 .i s
 be given to this deseryna$ey al aHP'au | and voluntary citizen sof :, loi WhosS ? assistance WI must krgFtelS III tttie ol e trouble, a
 In the hope that the fk VIII be prose n euted with no less sig0lh 0llit t1e future, the | secretary of war haSF pnlleteu al estl- Il mate which, if alloe4 tntIe witt pe pro n yided and either buiPthd building by the I end of the next fscF a,tei ae'lie,oila 5 lsa
 nIaeements aa S SIyiil present not fur from ' pna- -tbird of tb,5ta work to be done under the plan itFpled for our coast de-
 fenses. thus afTes q prospect that the enfira vnrlr N he substantially com | nleted within afyears. In less time than that. howevet4,F SHsth nave attalhed Il s marked degrqFi security
 ts al Impairment (
 Our noe4afce department is in good con { dition and fl exhibit made of it's opera ! ] lions dnriA the fiscal year ended June 30, | 1908 if ni iSfince is made for inperfections l in t6e Ia %tpplicable to it, is very satis- ! factory {ine total receipts during thc : year ,yprs S2, 49D. 2llS 70. The total expendi- | fnres WIT S90 ,oti26 6Sf exclusive of St., | 55g sesawhich was earned by the Pacific ] r,,ijroad for transportation and credited mn tt.f debt te tse government. There { was spincrease of recaipts over the previ ons var of S5,5l6.tis0 I, or E. percent, nnJin increase of expenditures of $3 836. ( pr 4 ftbn 1afpit t slS9 ,955 l9 less than that of tue preceding I 'ehe years report shows large extensions { oiboth star route service ana railway mail | sryice with increased postal facilities s 1uch higher accuracy in handling mails ! las also been reached The deficit for the { ast year, although much less than that of ! he last preceding years. emphasizes the necessity for Legislation to correct the rowing abuse of second class rates, to which the deficiency K mainly attributed 1t appears that though the second-class . natter constituted more than two thirds z # the total that was carried the revenue 4 erived from it was less than one thrtieth if the total expense. The average revenue | rom each pound of first class matter was ! 8 cents. From each pound of second-elass, : l-2 mills, (of the second class g, 34s, ,297 vas country free matterl. From each ' ,ound of third-class l3 cents From .. ach pound of foiuth-class l5.6 ceats. ss l recommend that legislation he at once . nacted to correct these abuses and intro ' luce better business ideas in the regulation ! ,f our postal rates.
 Experience and observation have demon trated that certain Improvements in the 7 organization of the postofiee department :, must be served before we can gain the full / benefit of the immense sums expended in ts administration. This involves the fol- { owing reforms, which earnestly recom- mend:
 There should be small addition to the existing inspector service tO be employed : in the supervision of the carrier force, which now numbers 3,00O men, and per forms it's service practically without the surveillance exercised over all other / of the postal or public service. Of course, such Ia < of supervision and freedom from WhuiesofHe disciplinary re- straints must inevitably lead to imperfect service.
 There should also be appointed few inspectors. who w0uld assst the central 1 office in necessary lNes blgatiDn concerning | matters of postoiiice ieases, postoiiiee sites, allowance for rent, fuel and lights and in : organizing and securing the best results from the work of the l4OO0 clerks now em- ployel in first and second class offices.
 I especially recommend such a recasting of tae appropriations by congress Tor the post9ffice department as will permit the 1 postmaster general 10 proceed with the work of consolidating post0flices This work has already been entered upon profi- ciently to fully demonstrate by expert ment that such consolidation is productive of better service, larger revenues and less 1 Gf