The Delta independent., 1899-12-08

troses - their places has been a work
of er<2s niagnitgds well and ably done
| en- the Wal department. During the past
year % hsye reduced our forces In Cuba
"a o61csgy ami ls.7ss enlisted men. in Por-
| to RSce y officers and 2 SIS enlisted men
naive had Pcrto Rieans: ia While stationed
thro~ghsut the United States are $40 Of.
hceTu and LIZ men, and in HAWAII II
| oMcegS and i53 enlisted men. -
The oPsrations of the army are fully
presented in the reports Of the secretary
Of war j cannot withhold from officers
| and nel h. highest eommendation for
their sesdierv conduct in trying situa-
ti0na- They made willing sacrifices for
| their COUNT and the integrity and abili-
/ ~ With Uhtch they have performed un-
usual aDd dlhcut duties in our Island
'.In TIE Organization of the volunteer
| regiDsnts authorized by the act Of March
| =. 1soo. n Wa found that no provision had
| been made for chaplains. This omission
| was doubtiess an inadyertenee: 1 recon-
mend the early authorization for the ap-
pointmenf OF one chaplain for each of said
,ssi%sn',ss Ises. TegispIs rsan, are nov IN, IN
Immediate action be had
POSTAL SERVICE
The domestie postal service continues
| to grow viii extraordinary rapidity. The
/ expenditure and the revenue will each
| exceed t10o" - during the current year.
Fortunately, since the revival of prosper
/ GUS tiDes. the revenues have grown much
4
is every indlcati9n that short period
/ will Witness the obliteration of the annual
deficit In This connection; the report of
i the postmastsF general embodies a state
ment Of some evils which have grown
up outside the contemplation of the law
matter which wrongfully exercise the
privilege o. The pound rate and shows
Classified and had paid the rate which i,
should havs paid, instead of a postal
deficit for the last fiscal year of So. 10o. go.
I fhxra hs.n an nn.4 ha ali
a surpius Of 81. EiI.710 and another of s.
/ ssz s36 The reform thus suggested. in
/ the opinion gf the postmaster general.
/ would not only put the postal service at
once upon self-susi aiming basis. but
would permit great and valuable improve
/ ments- and ] commend the subject to the
| consideration Of The Congress
THE NAVY.
! The navy has maintained the spirit
| and high efficiency which have always
/ Characterised that service. and has lost
none Of the galiantry In heroie action
| glorious past The nation has equal pride
/ in its early and late achievements. Its
habitual readiuess for every emergency
I OF the country. The people are int crest
/ ed in the contiuued preparation and pres
/ appropriation Tor its maintenance and
Improvement The officers have shown
/ Of new and delicate duties which our re-
/ cent war has imposed
In the matter OF naval construction.
/ down Less tonnage in the year 1883 than
this country, and Italy alone has less
/ concur In the recommendation for the in
crease Of the navy as suggested by the
! PENSIONS.
"On the 1th Of June. 1899 the pension
roll Of the United States numbered sel.-
army and nav in an our wars. The
number added to the rolls during the
. vr1a< fsF rrfa hks
/ legal Iimitatioa, failure TO claim within
three Year, and other causes. was 4sIss.
y. SO Durins the year ss.osI pension GER
/ tihcates were issued. Of which 2-07s were
amouns gn d,ssuTseS a-' for army Pes'P and navy W
pensions durinr The year. was slss.555-
essss. which was A.sS.,,slsl less than the
With the approval OF the secretary of
the intersoe. thc commissioner Of pensions
praelce q Al ea Uniform no ana maxi to 'aS ae
Justice to the dependent widow. the
a%9unt az ,Ss g snsoine aIlewed ipdspendsn;
urges that de consrsss shall so am amend d
s1snt tns 70 sssssS @aSws emss ndsl
the terms of the third secion OF the act
the @e Sy labor sf IS as5se nas IN irs eT,
cess Of go per annum. / believe this tc
be simply an - Of Justice and heartily
FOREST RESERVATIONS.
On June 30 ia there We're thirty
sracins an e.s,csseS TED area in Aasks "a a. s en-
acres During the past year two OF the
canon ,caliioruics ses ans 'ss h,acI rasgss s,;is
tsouth Dakota and Wyoming, have been
Considerably enlarged. the area OF the
washinsten has seen somewha, reduced
and sis,sS. SIX sddi,ionsl r.:erves have been es
1 mountains tArfnn0al. the Black Mesa
4 .Arixona). Lake Tahoe tCaiifornial. Gal.
an rss ase s rissr sss ,oiS Ss
a-ea of which b ssosss acres mi.
,n,l, make. a, The the pTsssns time a total Of
an estimated area Of ss.oal sss acres. This
estimated area b. the aggregated areas
The Lands actually reserved are how.
| ever. only the vacant public lands there
rsscrVea res % % for ale % or settlement % in oraei Tpi
that they may b. OF the greatest use &c
the people.
Protection OF the national forests in.
ausurated by the Department 81 the In.
terior In iss.. has oeen continued during
eomplshed on in the 1.y SSn Of preSenpinr s @ fer @
Tssre sen sss no l,rss ,,as,s oSxeTst ss
m o ina, san : - SsnsSs.. should n. r.
of protecting the forests.
THE PHILIPPINES.
.'on the 10th o. December. rsss. III,
treaty of peace between the United
states and Spain wae signed; 1t pro
should .cede 10 she United States tn,
archipelago known ~ the Philippin,
| pay to Spain the -su0 Of ssNoooN. and
civil rights and The political status OF
thu. eeded to the Usised States should B,
determined by Coagreea. The treaty wa.
ratified by the osaate on February 6
March 18th following. The ratification.
| were exchanged % the nth of April and
md Of March Congress voted the sun
contemplated by the trvaty and IN,
| government on the LIST of May. In thi.
| manner the Phillppenes came to tn.
| United States. The islands were ccdet
by the government of Spain. which had
| bscu in updi<puted pun2eppion OF then