The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-12-11

that congress authorize the appointment
OF q commission by the president, to con.
sist Of four expert paetsriologists, one t
ical marine hospital service. ore to he ap::
pointed from civil life. one to be detailed
from the medical officers of the army.
navy.
The Union Pacific.
The Union Pacific railway main line has
been sold under the de rec of the United
States supreme court for the district, OF
Nebraska on the LIST and Cd of November
of this year. The amount due the govern
ment consisted Of the principal Of the sub.
sidy bonds. s21 2Se: ~; and the accredited
total indebtedness SIS. 44S, 223 rs. The bid
ut the sale covered the first mortgage lien
and the entire mortgage claim OF the gov
eminent. principal and interest.
The sale of the Subsidized portion of tbs
Kansas Pacific line, upon which the gov
!ernmeht holds a second mortgage lien,
has hasa been p99stIponSed at The in IS t a nee of r tbs
debt of this division OF the Union Pacinr
railway on November !. 1897. was the nrin.
cipal Of the subsidy bonds. s 6 1903, 900. and
the unpaid accrued interest thereon, &c.
GIG. $50 80. making o total OF s!:,s2 $50 80,
The sale of this road was originally ad.
tcrtised for December 1, but for the pur-
of the event 1t was postponed before De.
cember 16. ana a second advertisement oil
the sale was made. BY the decree OF the
court the price on the sale of the Kan
the sum of e, 500. 900 over all prior liens.
costs and charges. If no otlcr or bcttel
bid is made this sun is all that the gov
$1,000, 600. The government has no infor.
nation as to whether there will be Other
bidders or a better bid than the minimum
amount herein stated. The question pre-
scented therefore is: Whether the govern.
ment sha!l under the authority given by
the act of March 3, 1897. purchase or re-
deeIi the road in the event n bid is not
governments claim. 10 qualify tile gov.
ernmcnt to bid at the sales viii require a
deposit of 100000 -as follows:
III the government $500. 900 and in each
OF the first mortgage causes 5000, 900, and
i'll the latter the deposit must be in cash.
Payments at the sale are as follows,
Upon the acceptance of the bid, a sum
which, with the asIount already depos.
tied, shall equal 10 per cent of the bid;
he balance In instaliments OF rs pei
cent thirty and fifty days after the con.
f1rmation Of the sale. The lien on the
Kansas Pacific prior to that of the gov.
eminent on h Both of July, 1897, prin.
cipal and interest, amounted to $7.2S1,.
04S.11. The government therefore, should
1t become the highest bidder, will have
to pay the amo%nt es the first mortgage
lien.
l believe that under the act Of 1887 1t
has the authority to do this and in alb.
sence of any action by congress l shall
direct the secretary of the treasury tc
make the necessary deposit as required
by The courts decree to qualify as a bid.
der and to bid at the sale a sum which
will at least equal the principal of the
debt due to the government; but sugges.
in order to remove all controversy, that
an amendment of the law be immediate.
ly passed, explicitly giving such powers
and appropriating in general terms
whatever sum is sufficient therefor.
In so important a matter as the gov.
eminent becoming the possible owner
of railroad property, which it perforce
must conduct and operate, l feel on
strained to lay before congress these
facts for its consideration and action be.
fore the contamination Of the sale. II
is clear to my mind that the government
should no permit the property to be solo
at a price which will yield less than one.
half of the principal of its debt and less
than one-ilfth of it's entire debt, princi.
pad nj interest. But whether the gov.
crnTent. rather than accept less thar
Its claim, should become a bidder and
thereby the owner Of the property,
submit to the congress for action.
The Library Building.
The library building provided for by
the act Of congress approved April Is,
1856, has been completed and opened to
the public. 1t should be a matter OF
congratuiation that through the fore.
sight n munificence of congress the
nation possesses this noble treasure
house of knowledge. 1t is earnestly to
be hoped that. having done SO much to-
ward the cause of education. congress
will continue to develop the library in
every phase of research to the end that
it may be not only one OF the most mag
n%iticent, but among the richest and most
useful libraries in the world.
Civil Service.
The important branch of our gov
eminent known It's the civil service, the
practical improvement of which hu
long been n subject of earnest discus
SIGN; has of late years received in.
creased legislation and executive APP.
proval. During the past few months
the service has been placed upon Il
still firmer basis of business methods
and personal merit. While the right
of our veteran soldiers to reinstatg-
ment in deserving cases has been as
serted, dismissal.: for merely political
reasons have been carefully guarded
against, the examinations for admit
.ance to the service enlarged and at
the same time rendered less technical
and more practical: and a distinct adj
vance has been made by giving a hear
ing before dismissal upon all eases
where incompetency is charged or de-
mand made for the removal of officials
in any of the departments. This ord II
has been made to give to the accused
his right to be heard, but without in
any way impairing the power If r.
moval, which should always be eXer-
cised III cases of inefliciency and In
competency, and Which is one of the
vital safeguards of the civil service re-
form system, preventing stagnation
and dead wood and keeping every en-
ploye kccnly alive to the fact that the
security of his future depends rot
upon his W tested and carefully
watched record of service.
Much, of course, still remains to be
accomplished bS1OlS liz SySNCHl Cull
be made reasonably perfect for our
needs. There are places now in the
classified service which ought to he en-
cmpted and not classified; may prop
erly be included. ] shall not hesitate
to exempt cases which J. think have
been improperly included in the clas-
sified service, or include those which
in my judgment will best promote the
public service. The system has the APP
prevail of the people and it will be my
endeavor to uphold and extend il.
Departmental Reports.
| am forced by the length, Of this
message to omit many important ref
to affairs of the government
with which congress will have to deal
at the present session. They are fully
discussed in the departmental reprts,
to all OF which I invite your earnest
attention.
The estimates Of the expenses Of the
government by the several depart
ments will, I am sure, have your care
full scrutiny. While the congress may
not find it an easy task to reduce the
A. aH. =