People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-12-06

Whereupon the attorney general prepared q
petition 10 De presented TO the court offering
to redeem said prior liens in such manner as
the court might direct and praying that there
upon the United States might be held TO be
subrogated to all the rights Of said prior lien
holders and that q receiver might be appointed
TO take possession Of the mortgaged premises
and maintain and operate the same
until the court or congress otherwise
directed. Thereupon the reorganiza-
ton committee agreed that II said
petition was withdrawn and the sale allowed
10 proceed on February l6 they would bid
sum at the sale which would realize to the gov.
eminent the entire principal OF its debt. So 3O3,-
O@ Believing that no better price could be
obtained and approaching the difficulties un.
der which the government would labor II Il
should become the purchaser Of the road
at the sale, in the absence OF any
authority by congress to take charge OF and
operate the road directed that upon the
guaranty Of q minimum bid which should give
the government the principal OF its debt, the
sale should proceed BY this transaction the
government secured an advance OF $3.50 0O
over and above the sum which the court had
fixed u the upset price and which the reor-
ganization committee had declared was the
maximum which they would pay for the prop
erty.
1t is gratifying fact that the result Of these
proceedings against the Union Pacific system
and the Kansas Pacific line is that the govern
ment has received on account OF its subsidy
claim the sum OF s64, 75l. 223 20 an increase Of
slssT. 1875 over the sum which the reorgan.
ization COMMITTEES originally agreed TO bid fol-
the joint property. the government receiving
its whole claim principal and interest, In
Union Pacific and the principal OF its debt or
the Kansas Pacific railroad
Steps had been taken to forecose the gov.
ernments lien upon the Central Pacific Railroad
company, but before action was commenced
congress passed an act approved July7, 1895,
creating commission consisting Of the secre.
tary OF the treasury, the attorney general and
the secretary Of the interior and their success
sors In Office with full power to settle the
Indebtedness TO the government growing out Of
the issue OF bonds in aid OF construction OF the
Central Pacific aud Western Pacific railroads,
subject to the approval Of the president Nc
report has yet been made TO me by the com.
mission thus created Whatever action is held
looking TO settlement Of the Indebtedness In
accordance with the act referred to will be duly
submitted to congress
Department OF Justice Building.
Ideem 1t my duty to call TO the attention Of
congress the condition OF the present building
occupied by the department Of justice The
business Of that department has increased
greatly since 1t was established in It's present
quarters The building now nG'upipd By II Is
a. uf gutf nn
ment for the proper accommodation OF the
business OF the department The su.
pervising architect has pronounced Il
unsafe and unsuited for the use
to which 1t Is put The attorney
general IN his report states that the library OF
the department Is on the fourth floor and that
all the space allotted to it is so crowded with
books as to dangerously OVERLOAD the structure
The first floor Is occupied by the court OF
claims The building is Of an old and delapi.
dated appearance unsuited TO the dignity which
should attach to this important department A
proper regard for the safety comfort and con-
venience Of the officers and employees would
justify the expenditure Of a liberal sum OF money
in the erection Of new building OF commodlous
proportions and handsome appearance upon
the very advantageous sites already secured
for that purpose including the ground occu-
pied BY the present. structure and adjoining
vacant TO that. comprising in all frontage OF
sOl tent on Pennsylvania avenue and depth OF
] 0 feet, In this connection / NAV likewise
refer to the inadequate arcommo iations pro-
vided for the supreme court in the capitol and
suggest the wisdom cfmagin4 provision for the
erection OF u separate building for the court
and its officers aud library upon available
ground near the capitol
The Postal Service.
The postal service Of the country advances
with extraordinary growth Within 20 years
both the revenues and the expenditures OF the
post office department have multiplied three.
fold In the last ten years they have nearly
doubled. Our postal business grows much more
raridly than our population. 1t now involves an
expenditure OF 10000 900 q year. number,
1900 post Offices and enrolls 20O, 900 employees
This remarkable extension OF a service which
Is an accurate index Of the public conditions
presents gratifying evidence Of the advance.
ment of education, OF the increase Of commu.
nication and business activity and OF the i'm.
provement Of mail facilities leading to theii
constantly augmenting use.
labors in the post ONCE department The mus.
t"rng Of the military and naval forces Of tn,
United States required special mail arrange.
ments ;Or every camp and every campaign
The communication between home and cami
was naturally eager and expectant In some Of
the larger places of rendezvous as many
a 5000 letters q day required handling
Thls necessity was met by the prompt
detail Of experienced men from the es
tablished force and by directing all the
inStrumentalities OF the railway mail and posi-
ofiice service so far as necessary TO this new
need. Congress passed an act empowering the
postmaster general TO establish ofices OF
branches at every military camp or station
and under this authority the postal machinery
was speedily put into effective operation
Under the same authority when our force,
moved upon Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
pines, they were attended and followed by th,
postal service. Though the act OF congress
authorized the appointment Of postmasters
where necessary, 1t was early determined tina
the public interests would be best subserved mo-
by new designations but by the detail OF expe.
rienced men familiar with every branch OF the
service and this policy was steadily followed
When the territory which was the theater Of
conflict came into our possession It became
necessary TO re-establish mail facilities for the
resident population as well as to pro.
vide them for our forces Of occupation
and the former requirement was mel
through the extension and application
Of the latter obligation / gave the requisite
authority and the same general principles wa,
applied TO this as to other branches Of civil ad-
ministration under military occupation The
details are more particularly given in the re-
port Of the postmaster general
II is pleasing 10 be able to say that the serv.
ice In the territory which has come under our
control is already materially improved
Venezuela Diapute with Great Britain.
The arbitrai tribunal appointed under the
treaty Of February, 1897, between Great Brit.
ain aud Venezuela to determine the boundary
line between the latter and the colony OF Brit
ish Guiana is TO convene at Paris dur
ing the present month 1t is a source
OF much qualification In this uovarnman,