Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-08
DELAWARE GAZETTE AND STATE JOURNAL-WII

DO obtained and approaching the
difficulties under which the government
would lnbor IL ii should become tho
purchaser Of the roiid ut the sale, in
the absence OF any authority by Con-
gress to take charge Of and operate tho
road ! directed that uron the guaranty
OF q minimum bid which should give
the government the principal OF its
debit tho sale should proceed. BY this
transaction the government secured an
advance of s3,5O3,0oO over and above
the sum which. the court had fixed as
tho upset price, aud which the reor-
ganization eonnhittee had declared was
this maximum. which they would pay
tor the property.
1t il u gratifying fact that tho result
OF these proceedings against the Union
Pacific system and the Kansas Pacific
line is that the government has re.
ceived on account of its subsidy claim
the SUN Of s5i, Tal, 223, IS. an increase
Of ala, S01, 161.7ti over the sum which
the reorganization committee originally
agreed tor bid for the property, the
government receiving its whole claim,
principal aud interest on the Union
Pacific and the principal on its debt
on the Kansas Pacific railroad.
hobOHp hhA btuh tuhNAi W lotOSipop bitO
governments lion upon the Central
Pacific Railroad CO., but before action
was commenced Congress- passed an
act approved July It'll, 1893, creating a
commission consisting of the Secretary
of the Treasury, the Attorney General
and the Secretary of the Interior and
their successors in office, with full
power to settle the, Indebtedness to
the government growing out OF the
issues of bonds i'll aid of the con-
struction of the Central Pacific and
Western Pacific bond-aided railroads,
subject to the approval OF the President.
No report has yet been made TO me
by the commission thus created. What
ever action is had looking to {. settle-
mont OF the Indebtedness ip accordance
with the act referred to will be duly
submitted to the Congress.
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED.
deem it my duty to- call to the
attention of Congress the condition of
| the present building occupied by Che
| Department Of Justice. The business
| Of that Department has Increased very
greatly since it was established in its
present quarters. THE building now
| occupied by 1t ia neither large enough
nor Of suitable arrangement for the
proper accommodation Of the business
Of the department. The supervising
architect has pronounced it unsafe and
unsuited for the use to which it is put.
The Acknowledgement in his report
states that the library Of the depart
ment is upon 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 dilapidated appear
ance, unsuited. to the dignity which
should attach to this important depart
ment. s ,s WI
A proper regard for, the safety, COM
fort and convenience Of tho officers and
employees would Justify the expenditure
Of 4 liberal sum of money in the crea-
tion of u new building Of commodious
PROPORTIONS and handsome appearance
| upon the very advantageous site already
secured for that purpose, including the
ground occupied by tho present struct-
IRE and adjoining vacant lot, compris-
| ing in all frontage of 20l feet on
Pennsylvania avenue and depth of
136sfeet.
| In this connection j may likewise
refer to the inadequate accommodation
| provided for the Supreme Court in the
Capitol, and suggest the wisdom Of
making provision for the erection of q
separate building for tho court and its
officers and library upon available
ground near tho Capitol.
GROWTH OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The postal service of the country ad
vapces with extraordinary growth.
Within 20 years both the revenues and
the expenditures OF the Postofiice De-
partment have multiplied three fold,
In the last 10 years they have nearly
| doubled. Our postal business grows
much more rapidly than our popu-
lation. 1t now involves an expenditure
of 800, 900. 00O a year, numbers 73, 000
postoffices, and enrolls 200,0 en-
ployes. This remarkable extension Of
service, which is an accurate index oil
the public conditions, presents crafty
ing evidence OF the advancement Of
education, of the increase Of com
munication and business activity, and
of the improvement Of mail facilities
leading to their constantly augmenting
use. A1H
The war with Spain laid new and
exceptional labors on the Postotfioe
Department. The mastering Of the
military and naval forces Of the United
1
ments for every camp and every CAM
paign, The communication between
home and camp was naturally eager
and expectant. In some OF the larger
places of rendezvous as many as 80, 00t
letters day required handling. This
necessity was met by the prompt detail
! and dispatch of experienced mon FROM
the established force and by directing
all the instrunleutalities of the rail-
way mail and postoffice service, SO far
rs necessary to this new need. Con
gress passed an act empowering the
Postmaster General to establish offices
or branches at every military camp OIL
station, and under this authority the
postal machinery was speedily put into
effective operation.
Under the same authority, wher
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 appointment Of post
masters whore necessary, it was early
determined that the public interests
would best be subserved, not by new
designations, but by the detail Of
experienced men familiar with every
branch of the service, and this policy
was steadily followed. When the ter.
ritory which was the theatre Of conflict
came into our possession, 1t became
necessary to re-establish mail facilities
for the resident population as well as
to provide them for our forces of occu'
patton, and the former requirement was
met through the extension and ap.
plication Of the latter obligation.
gave the requisite authority and the
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