The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-12-09

pry prison Hl tofl LeaVenWorth as n
United States pcnitentiary. This is GER
taluly movement in the right dlrection.
but 1t ought 20 be at once supplemented
by the rebuilding or extensive enlarge
ment of This improvisc1 prison. and the
construction of at least one more. to be
located IN tlc southern states. The ca
pacity of the LeaVenworth uenitentiarv
is so limited that the expense of it's
maintenance calculated at per capita
rate upon the number of prisoners 1t
ear accommodate, does not make as eco
noulcal an eXh bit as it would If IT were
larger and better adapted to prison pur-
poses; but | am thoroughly convinced
that economy, humanity and a proper
sense Of responsibility and duty toward
those whom We punish for violations of
federal law dictate that the federal gov
eminent should have the entire control
and management of the penitentiary
whore convicted yio.ators are confined.
pOstuiii"e department.
our postofce department Is in good con-
dtion, and the exhibit made of its oper-
ations during the fiscal year ended June
80, 1896 if allowance is made for imper-
fections in the laws applicable to it, Is
very satisfactory. The total receipts dur
ing the year were $50 400 POS 49, The total
expenditures were $9O.G26, 29GA, exclusive
of $l559, SJs2 which was earned by the
Pacific railroad for transportation and
There was an increase of receipts over
the previous year of S5,jl6,0S02 p, or IL
per cent, and an increase of expenditures
of $3.S3G. 12l.O2, or i.l2 per cent.
The deficit was 81 619, g5619 less than that
of the preceding year. The chief expen-
ditures of the postal service are regu-
lated by law and are not i'm the control of
the postmaster general All that he can
accomplish by the most watchful admin
istration and economy is to force prompt
and thorough collection and accounting
for public moneys and such minor savings
In small expenditures and in letting those
contracts for postofce supplies and star
service which are not regulated by stat
ute.
The transmission at the rate of l cent
a pound of serial libraries, advertising
sheets, "housc organs" periodicals adj
vertising some particular house or insti-
tution), sample copies and the like, ought
certainly ought to be discontinued
The growth IN weight of second-class
matter has oyuI f. ON 299OO0,O0O pounds in
1894 to 312JQ0.Og0 I'm 1895 and to almost
$40 100000 in 1886, and it is quite evident
this increasing drawback is far outstrp
ping any possible growth of postal reve-
nues
our mail service should of course be
such as to meet the wants and even the
conveniences of our people. at a direct
charge upon them as light as perhaps to
exclude the idea of our postofiice de-
partment being "a money making concern;
but in the face of IL constantly recurring
deficiency IN its revenues, and in view
of the fact that We supply the best mail
services in the world, it seems to me it
is quite time to correct the abuses that
swell enormously our annual deficit.
If such sccOnd-class matter paid merely
the cost of its handling. our deficit would
disappear and surplus result which
might be used to give the people still bet
ter mail facilities or cheaper rates of let
ter postage. / recommend that legisld-
ton be at once enacted to correct these
abuses ana introduce better business
ideas in the regulation of our postal rates.
The Navy
The work of the navy department and
it's present condition are fully exhibited
in the report of the secretary. The con-
struCtion of vessels for our new navy has
been theoretically prosecuted by the
present administration upon the general
lines previously adopted. the department
having seen no necessity for radical
changes in prior methods under which
the work was found to be progressing in
a manner highly satisfactory 1t has
been decided, however, to provide in
every ship building contract that the
builder should pay all trial expenses and
it has also been determined to pay 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.
1t is gratifying to state that our ships
and their outfits are believed to be equal
to the best that can be manufactured
elscW here and that such notable reduc-
tions have been made in their cost as to
justify the statement that quite a num-
Der of vessels are now being constructed
hot ~.
European shipyards.
There have been authorized by congress
since March, 1893, five battleshps, six
light-draft gunboats, 1G torpedo boats and
one submarine torpedo boat Contracts
for the building of all of them have been
| let The secretary expresses the opinion
that we have for the present a sufficient
supply of cruisers and gunboats. and that
hereafter the construction of battleships
and torpedo boats will supply our needs.
The naval militia, which was authorized
a few years ago as an experiment, has
/ now developed into a body of enterprising
/ Young men active and energetic in the
/ discharge Of their duties and promising
/ great usefulness This establishment has
| nearly the same relation to our navy as
/ the national guard in the different states
/ bears 10 our army; and it constitutes a
/ source of supply for our naval forces, the
Importance of which is Immediately ap-
parent.
The Interior Department.
The report of the secretary of the inter-
Tor presents a comprehensive and inter-
esting exhibit of the numerous and i'm
portant affairs committed to his super
vision 1t is impossible in this commune
cation to do more than briefly refer to a
/ few Of the subjects concerning which the
secretary gives full and instructive infor-
| nation.
The money appropriated on account of
this department and for its disbursement
for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1896.
amounted to more than $l5I,0)O,000, or a
greater sum than was appropriated for
the entire maintenance of the govern
ment for the two fiscal years ended June
&c. 1861.
Our public lands, originally amounting
! to 1Si0 COO, 600 acres, have been so re-
duced that only about 60O0OO,OOO acres still
remain in government control, excluding
Alaska. The balance being by far the
most valuable portion, has been given
away to settlers to new states and to
railroads or sold at a comparatively
nominal sum.
The total Indian population of the
United States Is 1925, according to
census made in 1888, exclusive of those
within the state of New York and those
comprising the five civilized tribes OF