Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-12-08


rent, fuel and lights and in organizing
and securing the best results from the
the work Of the IL. 900 clerks now
! employed in first aud secOnd-class
offices j especially recommend such
a recastiug of the appropriations 10y
congress for the pOStotiice department
as viii permit the Dostmaster-general
to proceed with the work of cousOli-
dating postofIices. This work has
already been enteredupOn sufficiently
to fully demonstrate by experiment
and experience that such consolidation
is productive of better service, larger
revenues and less expenditures. The
further advantage of gradually with
drawing postOtfices from the spOis
system should be considered.
OUR NEW NAVY.
The construction of vessels for our
new navy has been energetically pros
ecuted by the present administration
upon the general lines previously
adopted. 1t has been decided to pro-
vide in every shipbuilding contract
that the builder shall pay all trial ex-
penses and it has also been determined
to pay 40 speed premiums in future
] contracts The premiums recently
earned and some yet to be decided are
| features of the contracts made before
J this conclusion was reached. On
/ March 4,1893, there was in commission
| but two armed vessels, the double tur-
rented monitors MiantOnomah and
Monterey. Since that date of vessels
therefore authorized there have been
placed in their first commission three
tirst-claSs and two secOnd-claSs battle
ships, two armored cruisers, one har-
Dor defense ram, and five double tur-
rented monitors, including the Maine
and Puritan, just completed. Eight
armored cruisers and two new gun
boats have also been commissioned.
PUBLIC LANDS.
| agree with the secretary that the
remainder of our public lands should
be more carefully dealt with and their
alienation guarded by better economy
and greater prudence.
10, THE POOR INDIAN.
The total Indian population of the
United States, III ,235, according to a
census made in 1895, exclusive of those
within the state of New York and
those comprising the five civilized
tribes. OF this number there are APP
proXimately $4,000 children of school
age. During the year %, 1893 of these
were enrolled in schools.
THE PENSION ROLL.
The diminution of our enormous
pension expenditures, which have
been so often confidently foret0ld,
still fail in material realization. The
number of pensioners on the rolls at
the close of the fiscal year ended June
80, 1896, was 970,67S. This is the
largest number ever reported. The
a Mount paid exclusively for pensions
this year was S13S, ,214, 1914 slight
decrease from that of the preceding
year, while the total expenditures on
account of pensions, including the
cost Of maintaining the department.
and expenses attending the pension
distributions, amounted to Sl42,2O6,
550.59, or within very small fraction
of one-Uhird of the entire amount of
supporting the government during
the year. The number Of new pension
certificates issued was 90,640; of these
40, 0,370 represent original allowances OF
claims and 15,87S increases of existing
pensions. The sum appropriated for
the payment of pensions for the
the current fiscal year ending
June 30, 1897, is $l40,000,000 and for
the succeeding year it is estimated
that the same amount will be nee
essary.
On January, l, 1897, with the
amount already matured, more than
S13, 900, 900 of the principal of the sub
sidy bonds issued by the United
States in aid of the construction of
the Union Pacific railway, including
its Kansas line, and more than six
millions Of like bonds issued in aid Of
the Central Pacific railway, including
those issued to the Western Pacific
railway company, will have fallen due
and been paid or must on that day be
paid by the government. Without
any reference to the application of the
sinking fund now in the treasury this
will create such default on the part
of these companies to the government
as will give it the right to at once in
stitute proceedings to foreclose its
mortgage lien. In the case Of the
Union Pacific the situation has be-
come especially and Immediately ur-
gent. Proceedings have been institu-
ted to foreclOse first mortgage upon
those aided parts Of the main line upon
which the government holds second
mortgage lien.
The secretary of agriculture reports
UluD UuS Ndluc VI ullC CApOIOS VI Jul
farm products during the last fiscal
crease of ST., 200, 900 over those of the
year Immediately preceding. In my
opinien the gIatuitOus distribution of
seeds by the department as at present !
conducted, ought to be discontinued. |
The weather bureau, now attached to !
the department of agriculture, has
continued to extend its sphere OF use
fulness and by uninterrupted improve
ment in the accuracy of its forecasts, |
has greatly increased its efficiency as
an aid and protection to all those |
whose occupations are related to the
weather conditions.
desire to venture upon some sug-
gestions touching our present tariff |
law and its operation. This statute |
took effect on the 2Sth day of August,