The Mena weekly star., 1896-12-09

all grounds 1t is exceeding desirable that the convirts confined in this peuiteatiary be al- lowed to resume work of this description. Tho Post office Department.
 Our post office department is in gooi condi- ton aud the exhibit made of its operations during tho fiscal year ended Juno s0 l-96. fl allowance is made for imperfections in the laws applicable to it. Is very satisfactory The total rece pts during the yearwcre !S149g, sls 70 The total expenditures were .9N6.6sQi si, ex- elusive of SI aa9. .sQS F. which was'earncd by tho Pacific railroad for transportation and credit on their debt to the government There was an increase of receipts over the previous year of Ss,5l6.fSl9I or 7.l per cent. and an increase of expenditures of Ss,SS3ls40t, or I, 4s per cent The deficit was sl,679,956.l9 less than that of the preceding year The chief expenditures of the postal service are regulated by law and are not in control ot the postmaster-general All that he can accomplish by the most watch ful administration and economy is to cngurca prompt and thorough collection and Gccouat- | ing for public moneys and such minor savings ! in small expenditures and in letting those con- tracts for post office supplies and star service which are not regulated by statute
 The average revenue from each pound Of 1 first-class matter was as cents. From each pound Of second class, SIS mills (of the second- l class D. s9i was county free matter). From each pound of third-class, i51 cents. From ! growth in weight of second-clasS matter ms 1 been from 299,0l000 pounds in 1891 to 3i9.90o- | coo in 1895, and to almost 2i90n,0) in ! 1896, and it is quite evident this in- oreasing drawback is far outotripping any possible growth of postal revenues Our mail service should Of course DO such as to meet the wants and even the conven- l fences Of the people, at a direct charge upon i them so light perhaps to exclude the idea of | our post office department being money i making concern. but in the face Of constantly recurring deficiencies in it's revenue, ,and in view
 of the fact that we supply the best mail sery- | ice in the world, 1t seems to me 1t IS quite
 time to correct the abuses that swell enor-
 mously our annual deficit If we concele the
 public policy of carrying weekly newspapers l free in the county of publication and even the policy of carrying ut l less than one-tctnh of their cost 1 other bona flde newspapers and periodicals
 there can be no excuse for subjecting the serv- | ice to the further immense and increasing loss involved in carrying at the uorainal rate of one cent pound the serial libraries. sometimes l including trashy a1d even harmful literature | and other matter. which under the loose inter- 1 probation of a loose statute has been gradually given second-class rates. thus absorbing all profitable returns derived from first-elass matter which pays three or four times more than it's cost and producing D large annual loss to be paid by general taxation.
 Experience and observation have demon strat ed that certain improvements in the or ganization or the post office department muste 1 be served before we can gain the full benefit of the immense sums expended In it's administra- tion. This involves he following reforms
 which l earnestly recommend: There should be small addition to the existing inspector l service, to be em ployed in the supervision of | he carrier force, which now numbers i3.OO0 men and performs it's service practically without the surveillance exercised over all | other branches of the postal or public service | There should also be appointed a few inspect | OTIS who would assist the central office in nec- essary investigation concerning matters of post office leases, post office sites allowance for rent, fuel and lights, and in organizing and securing the best results from the work Of the 1 l4,o0) clerks now employed in first and second class offices.
 The Navy Department.
 The work of the navy department and its present conditions are fully exhibited in the
 report of the secretary. The construction Of
 vessels for our navy has been energetcally
 prosecuted by the present administration upon , the general lines previously adopted, the de- partment having seen no necessity for radical changes in prior methods under which the
 work was found to be progressing in manner highly satisfactory l. has been decided
 however to provide in every ship building con-
 tract that the builder should pay all trial ex- penses, and iU has also been detcraiined to pay no speed premiums in future contracts On March l, 1893. there were in commission but two Grmored vessels the double-turreted monitors Miantonomoh and Monterey Since that date, of vessels heretofore authorized. there have been placed in theip first commis- sion three tirst-class and two second-class bat tleShips two armored cruisers, one harbor de- feuSe ram and five double-turreted monitors. including Maine and Puritan, just completei. Eight new unarmored cruisers and two new | 1.A ofl hurr. ,41r 1..1.~ .rf
 Iowa another battleshp, will be completed about March 1. and at least four moro gunbaats will be ready for sea in the early spring
 The war college has developed into m insti-
 tuition which 1t is believed will be of great value to the navy in teaching the science of
 war, we'll in stimulating professional
 zeal in the navy, and it will be especially use- fui in the devising of plans for the utilization. in case of necessity, of all the naval resources
 Of the United States
 The naval militia. which was authorized few years ago, ns an cx pertinent bas now de- velcped into body of eaterprising young men, active and energetic fa the discharge of their duties and promising great usefulness. Tais establishment has nearly the same relation to our navy as the national guard III the differ ent states bears to our army. and constitutes a source of supply to our naval forces, the in- portance oi which is immediately apparent
 The Interior Department.
 The report of the secretary of the interior presents compr' hensive and interesting ex- hioit Of tho numerous and important affairs committed to hts supervision IL is impossible in this communication to do more than briefly refer to few of the subjects concerning which the secretary gives full and instructive infor- nation. Our public lands originally amount ing to 1,ss0. .Vj0,0D acres have been so reduced that only about 6O0.100.U0J acres still remain in government control. excluding Alaska. The balance. being by far the most valuable por-