Willmar tribune., 1899-12-13
ID sEsag7F,.
!: Domestic TO0tRi Service,

The domesuc poatal service continues to
exceed Sioo, 100000 during the Current year. year.
Fortunately, since the revival of prosper
GUS times the revenues have grown much
faster than the expenditures, and there
is every Indication that a short period
win witness the obliteration Of the annual
the postmaster general Eembodies' a,state-
ment of some evils (which have grown
ups4outside of the, Contemplation Of law
in the treatment of Some classes of mail
matter which wrongly exercise the priVi-
lege of the pound rate, and shows that if
this matter had been properly classified
and had paid the rate which it should
have paid, instead of postal deficit for
the last fiscal year Of s6,610OO0 there would
have been. on one basis a surplus of $17,-
eto peform thus suggested, in the opinion of
1.-The postmasterSag general, would not only
put. the postal:.serxice at once on sa$self- :
and valuable improvements. and I com
mend the subject to the consideration Of
the congress. 20
The Navy.
He concurs in the recommendations made
by the secretary of the navy for the in
crease of that branch Of the public service
and legislation that will provide for armor
plate for the vessels now building.
It cannot be doubted that congress will
at once make necessary provision for the
arrnor plate for the vessels now under
contract and building. Its attention is re-
retary Of the navy, in which the subject is
fully presented. I unite in his recon-
mendation that, the congress enact such
special legislation as may be necessary
to enable the department to make con-
tracts early in the coming year for armor
of the best quality that can be obtained IN
souri,, and that the provision of the act
of March 3, 1899, limiting the price of armor
to $500 per ton be removed.
In the matter of naval construction, Italy
the 1oi
less tonnage in the year 1899 than this
| country, and Italy alone has less tonnage
under construction I heartily concur in
the navy, as suggested by the secretary.
Our future progress and prosperity de-
pend upon ou, ablity it. to to equal if not sur;
advance Of science, industry and COM
merce. To invention We must turn as one
Of the most powerful aids to the accom-
plishment of such a,result. The attention
of the congress is directed to the report
of the commissioner of patents, in which
will be- found valuable suggestions and
The Subject of Pensions.
On the subject of pensions he gives the
present ruling of the commissioner Of pen
sions regarding the pensions of widows.
recites tneadesires expressed by the grand
With the approval of the secretary of the
interior, the commissioner of pensions
recommends that, in order to make the
justice to the dependent widow, the amount
Of income allowed independent of the
proceeds Of her daily labor should be not
the congress shall SO amend the act as
to permit the pension Office to grant pen
sionable status to widows under the terms
of the third section of June 27, 1890 whose
income aside from the proceeds Of daily
labor is not in excess of $3.50 per annum
beleHe thiT 1 to be simple act of justice
On the subject of forest reservations he
recommends an increase in the appropria-
tions for this work of theinterior depart
ment.
The Census.
The census and the Pacific railroads are
treated as follows:
In accordance with the act of congress
approved March 3, 1892 the preliminary
sus is now fully under way. The officers
required for the proper administration of
the. duties imposed have been selected.
enumeration of the popuIaton. M as well peHllpes as
to secure evidence of the industrial growth
of the nation, is broader and more COM
prehensive than any similar legislation in
the past. The director advises that every
needfpl effort is being made to push this
great WORK to completion in the time linn
1y the m It is beeyed that
markable advance in all that pertains to
national progress.
The Pacific Railroads.
Under the authority of the act of con-
gress approved July Z, 1898, the commission,
ury. the attorney general and secretary
Of interior has made an agreement OF
settlement, SCI which has had my approval
growing out Of the issue of bonds to aid
in the construction of the Central Pacific
and Western Pacific railroads. The agree
and ehf ef sad bondS n
| amounting to SIS, ,s12, ,7l5.4s. There has been
paid thereon $11.7 ,54aa2, which has been
e0verea HinGsr INTO the the treasury and the re-
| interest at the rate of three per cent. per
annum. payable semiannually, is secured
| ny the deposit of an equal amount of first
mortgage bonds of the Pacific railway com
panies.
The amounts paid and secured to be
| paid to the government on account of the
Pacific railroad subsidy claims are:
| Union PACIFIC. cash. :.........s 5s,41S, ,223 I;
Kansas Pacific, cash.. 6,3O3, 1000 .0(
| Central and Western Pacific,
Notes. secured .... a. II az 6S179 ~ q q
Kansas Pacific dividends for '''0l = ''
deficiency due United States,
cdsn'.!......... .................: S2l S97 &c
| The whole indebtedness was about $780,
Oo0,000, more than half of which consisted
! of accrued interest, for which sum the
government has realized the entire amount
|
years.
| Department OF Agriculture.
Regarding the work of the department OF
| agriculture, the president refers to the In
estimable value of the department to our
agricultural interests. and says of it:
for surplus farm and factory products in
Europe and in Asia. The outlook for the
education of the young, farmer through
agricultural college and experiment sta
tions, with opportunity given to specialize
in the department Of agriculture, is very
promising. The people of Hawaii, Porto
helped, by the establishme of experiment
! stations, to a more scientific knowledge OF
the production Of coffee. india rubber and
demand fGRt IN the %nted States "''' 'nere
| There is widespread interest in the inn
provement of our public highways at the
culture is Cooperating with the people in
| each locality in making the best possible
roads from, local material and in expert
menting with steel tracks; more intelli-
| gent system OF managing the forests Of the
country is being put in operation, and a
careful study of the whole forestry prob
lem is being conducted throughout the
| United States. A very extensive and COM
plete exhibit of the agricultural and horti-
cultural products of the United States is
being prepared for the Paris exposition.
The Philippines.
Of all the subjects treated the Philip
| pines receive PROBABLY the greatest amount
| CT, attention. He reviews the connection of
this government with the islands since the
signing Of the peace treaty with Spain, tells
+ of the attempt Of the administration to as.
| sure the people of the islands of the good
will and friendly intentions of this gov
ernment, and Of this says:
From the earliest moment no opportuni-
| ty was lost of assuring the people of thu
islands of our ardent desire for their vel
| fare and of the intention of tthis govern
ment to do everything possible to advance
| hoiv. infnrpStS order
Of May, 1925: the con- ma nder of the mill
tary expedition dispatched to the Philip.
! pines was instructed to declare that we
came not to make war upon the people