The evening times., 1898-12-05

that purpose, including the ground occu-.
pied by the present structure and adjoin-
ing vacant lot, comprising in all front
age of POI feet on Pennsylvania Avenue
and depth of 1876 feet.
SUPREME COURT QUARTERS.
In this connection I may likewise refer
to the inadequate accommodations pro-
vided for the Supreme Court in the Capt.
tol, and suggest the wisdom of making
provision for the erection of separate
building for the. court and it's officers and
library, upon available ground near the
Capitol.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The postal service of the country adj
vances with extraordinary growth. With
in twenty years both the revenues and the
expenditures of the Postoffice Department
have multiplied threefold. In the last ten
years they have nearly doubled Our pos
tai business grows much more rapidly
than our population. 1t now involves an
expenditure of s100 900, 600 a year numbers
I3,eO0 postoffices, and enrolls 100000 en-
pioyes. This remarkable extension of a
service which is an accurate index of the
public conditions presents gratifying evil
dence of the advancement of education, of
the increase of communication and bust
ness activity. and of the Improvement of
mail facilities leading to their constantly
augmenting use.
The war with Spain laid new and excep-
tional laborS on the Postoffice Depart
ment. The mastering of the military and
naval forces Of the United States required
special mail arrangements for every camp
and every campaign The communication
between home and camp was naturally
eager and expectant. In some of the larg-
er places of rendezvous as many as $4,000
letters day required handling. This
cessity was met by the prompt detail and
dispatch of experienced men from the es-
tablished force and by directing all the
instrumentalities of the railway mail and
postoffice service. so far necessary, to
this new need. Congress passed an act
empowering the Postmaster General To
establish postoffices or branches at every
military camp or station. and under this
authority the potsal machinery was
speedily put into effective operation.
WORK IN THE COLONIES.
Under the same authority, when our
forces moved upon Cuba, Porto Rico and
the Philippines they were attended and
followed by the postal service Though
the act of Congress authorized the ap-
pointment of postmasters where neces-
sary. it was early determined that the
public interests would best be subsetved
not by new designations but by the de-
tail of experienced men familiar with
every branch of the service, and this
policy was steadily followed. When the
territory which was the theater of n
flict came into our possession it became
necessary to re-estabIish mail faci tiles
for the resident population as we'll 10
nroI-iie them forces M
ton, and the former requirement was
met through the extension and appl'ca-
tion of the latter obligation. | gave the
requisite authority and the same general
principle was applied to this as to other
branches of civil administration under
military occupation. The details are
more particularly given in the report of
the Postmaster General. and while the
work is only just begun. it is pleasing 10
be able 10 say that the service in the
territory which has come under our con-
troll is already materially improved.
GREATER NAVY ADVOCATED.
The following recommendations of the
Secretary of the Navy relative to the in
crease Of the navy have my earnest ap-
proval:
/. Three seagoing sheathed and cop
pered battleships of about IS so tons trial
displacement. carrying the heaviest ar
NOR and most powerful ordnance for
vessels of their class, and TO have the
highest practicable speed and great ra-
dius of action. Estimated cost. exclusive
of armor and armament. So 6000.0 each.
2. Three sheathed and coppered armored
cruisers of about L, COO tons trial displace-
ment, carrying the heaviest armor and
most powerful ordnance for vessels of
their class, and to have the highest prac-
ticable speed and great radius of action.
Estimated cost, exclusive of armor and
armament, s4. 100000 each.
8. Three sheathed and coppered protected
cruisers of about 6.000 tons trial dispIace-
ment; to have the highest practicable
speed and great radius of action, and to
carry the most powerful ordnance suitable
for vessels of their class. Estimated cost,
exclusive of armor and armament, 81 150-
COO each.
4. Six sheathed and coppered cruisers of
about $500 tons trial displacement: TO have
the highest speed compatible with good
cruising qualities, great radius of action.
and to carry the most powerful ordnance
suited to vessels of their class. Estimated
cost, exclusive of armament 81, 500 each.
REWARDS FOR NAVAL OFFICERS.
/ join with the Secretary of the Navy
in recommending that the grades of Ad-
miraS and Vice-Admral be temporarily
revived to be filled by officers who have
specially distinguished themselves in the
war with Spain
1 earnestly urge upon Congress the i'm
portance of early legislation providing for
the taking of the Twelfth Census This
is necessary in view of the large amount
of work which must be performed in the
preparation of the schedules preparatory
to the enumeration of the population.
PENSIONS.
There were on the pension rolls on June
80 1895. 93714 names, an increase of
nearly Is, 900 over the number on the rolls
on the same day of the preceding year
The amount appropriated by the act of
December %, 1896, for the payment OF
pensions for the fiscal year of 1898 was
$40 OOO. .00O Eight million seventy thou
sand eight hundred and seventy-two dol
lars and forty-six cents was appropriated
ficiencies in the army pensions. and re-
payments in the sum of Sl2,020.33, making
a total of S14S, ,0S2. .S92. 79 available for the
payment of pensions during the fiscal
wear 1898. The amount disbursed from that
sum was $1A col $3.50, leaving a balance
of So, 4S1 ,01299 unexpended on the 30th of
June, 1898. which was covered into the
Treasury. There were 3S9 names added
to the rolls during the year by special
acts passed at the second session of the
Ffty-fifth Congress, making total of g.
4S6 pensioners by Congressional enact