Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-12-09

the court mi CHIT direct and praying that there
upon the United States might be held to be
subroga:ed to all the rights OF said prior lien
holders and tina: q receiver might be appointed
to take possession OF the mortgaged premises
and maintain and operate the same
until the court or congress otherwise
tiOn committee agreed that said
petition was withdrawn and the sale allowed
TO proceed February is. they would bid q
sum at the sale which would realize to the gov
eminent the entire principal OF its debt 50 S0s.-
oOo Believing that no better price could be
obtained and appreciating the difficulties IN
der which the government would labor II it
should become the purchaser Of the road
at the sale, in the absence OF any
authority by congress to take charge OF and
opera the road, I directed that upon the
guaranty OF minimum bid which should give
the government the principal OF its debt the
sale should proceed BY this transaction the
government secured advance of SS.Ss3 900
over and above the sum which the court had
fixed as the upset price and which the reor-
ganizatiou COMMITTEES 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 account OF its subsidy
claim the sum of S6i. 5Si.sS a.. an increase of
1897. i63 75 over the sum which the reorgan-
ization committee originally agreed TO bid for
the joint property, the government receiving
its whole claim principal and interest. in
Union Pacific and the principal of its debt on
the Kansas Pacific railroad
Steps had been taken to forecloSe the gov
eminent lien upon the Central Pacific Railroad
company, but before action was commenced
congress passed an act approved July 4, 1885,,
creating commission consisting OF the secre-
tary of the treasury, the attorney general and
the secretary of the interior and their success
sors in ofdce with fun power settle the
Indebtedness to the government growing out of
the issue OF bonds in aid OF construction of the
Central Pacific and Western Pacific railroads,
subject to the approval Of the president No
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.
deem it 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 il was established in its present
quarters The building now occupied by it is
neither large enough nor OF suitable arrange
ment for the proper accommodation of the
business of the department The su-
unsafe and unsuited for the use
to which IL 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 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 i'm portant department \
proper regard for the safety, comfort and con-
venience OF the officers and employees would
justify the expenditure of 4 liberal sum OF money
in the erection OF q new building OF commodious
proportions and handsome appearance upon
the very advantageous sites already secured
for that purpose. Including the ground occu-
pied by the present structure aEd adjoining
vacant to that, comprising in all I frontage OF
POI feet on Pennsylvania avenue and q depth OF
$50 feet. In this connection 1 may likewise
refer to the inadequate accommodations pro-
vided for the supreme court in the capitol and
suggest tue wisdom OF making provision for the
erection of separate building for the court
and its officers and library upon available
ground near the capitol
The Postal Service q
| o The postal service OF the country advances
wiz 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
| rapidly than our population IL now involves an
! expenditure of 100000 900 o year, numbers
az coo post offices and enrolls 500 O0I employeS
| 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
provemeRt of mail facilities leading to their
OnStantly-augmenting use
The war with Spain laid new and exceptional
! iaborS in the post office department. The mus
| terirg of the military and naval forces OF the
i United States required special mail arrange
| ments fof every camp and every canPai.n n
| The communication between home and camp
was naturally eager and expectant In some Of
the larger places OF rendezvous as many
| as $1,000 letters day required handling
This necessity was met by the prompt
| detail OF experienced men from the es
tahlished fotce and by directing all the
| instrumental3ties OF. the railway mail and posi-
| Office service far as necessary to this new
! Eeec. Congress passed act empowering the
postmaster general to establish Offices OIL
! branches at every military camplGJr station
and under this authority the postal TnacI..nerI
was speedily put into Effective operation
| Under the same authority when our forces
moved upon Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philip
J pines they were attended and foiloVEed by the
postal service Though the act of congress.
authorized the appointment OF postmaster:
| where necessary, il was early determined tha
! the public interests would be best subserved no
eS5 new q designations but by the detail of eXpe-
I rienced men familiar with every branch of ths
| service and this policy was steadily followed
| When the territory which was the theater O.
| coHhict came into possession ii becam,
necessary TO re-eStaoliSh mail facilities for III
! resident population well as to pro
wide them for forces o. occupation
| and the former requirement was me
| through the extension and application
| Of the latter obligation 1 gave the reQuisit,
| authority nd the same general principles va.
] applied to this to other branches of civil adj
| ministrseion under military occupation Thu
details are more particularly given in the r.
port of the postmaster general
| II is pleasing to be able to say that the sery
! ice in the territory which has come under on
| control Is already materially improved
| Nenezueia Dispute " TN Great Britain.
| The arbitral tribunal appointed under III
| treaty OF February, 1897, between Great Brit
! ain and Venezuela to determine the bound ar
line between the latter aadShe colony OF Brit
ish Guiana is to convene Paris dur
/ ing the present month 1t is a sourc,
| OF much qualification to this goyernmsn
to see the friendly resort OF arbitration
applied to the settlement OF this controEersS.