Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-12-08

| OIL mastering out Ine volunteers OF the
Spanish war and the organization of new
troops In compliance with legislation enact
| ed by the last congress. He commends
mained in service after the conclusion of
| the treaty of peace with Spain, and says of
our army now in the Philippines:
| The force now in Manila consists of 905
officers and SO,57S regulars and 594 officers
| and 15,3SS of the volunteers, making an
aggregate of 1889 officers and 1896 men:
When the troops now under orders shall
| reach Manila, the force in the archipelago
will comprise POSI- officers and 634SS men.
The muster out of the great, volunteer
the creation Of new army, the Transport
tation from Manila to San Francisco of
those entitled to discharge, and the trans
portation of the new troops to take their
places have been, work of great magni-
| tude well and ably done, for which too
much credit cannot be given the war de-
| partment.
In Cuba and Porto Rico he says:
forse the ea a sad Ter hav Rco %
Cuba, we now have 1884 officers and 1926
enlisted men; in Porto Rico, 81 officers and
1856 enlisted men and a battalion of 400
men composed of native Porto Ricans;
| while stationed throughout the United
/ States are $40 officers and 17,Sl7 men, and in
| Hawaii IL officers and 455 enlisted men.
The Postal Service.
The work of the postal service both at
| home and in the colonies is spoken of at
| length, and the operations of the depart
ment II both places pronounced satisfac-
| tory. OF the service In the colonies he says:
| The appointment of director general of
| posts of Cuba, was given to an expert who
had been chief post office inspector and as.
| sistant postmaster general and who united
| large experience with admins trative ca
pacity: For the postmastership at Hav-
1 ana, the range of skilled and available men
was scanned, and the choice fell upon one
| who had been 20 years in the service as
| deputy postmaster and postmaster, of a
| large city. This principle governed and
determined the selection of the American
| officials sent not only to Cuba, but to Porto
| Rico and the Philippines, and they. were
in the employment of the natives as minor
postmasters and clerks The postal sys-
tenn in, Cuba, though remaining under the
! eral, was made essentially independent. 1t
was felt that. 1t should not be a burden
upon the postal service of the United States,
the postal revenue should be charge
upon the general revenues of the island.
States, vet, for convenience of admins
tration. the same principle Of an autono-
| The development of the service in all Of
| the islands has been rapid and snccess-.
p It has fr moyd on
| registry systems. and has given the peo=
| Pile mail facilities far greater and more re-
| liable than any they have ever before en-
| joyed 1t is thus not only a vital agency
| Of industrial. social and business progress,
| but an important influence in diffusing
| Just understanding of the true spirit and
| character of American administration.
Domestic Postal Service.
| The domestic postal service continues to
| grow with extraordinary rapidity;, The
o a nnS the VIII each
Fortunately, since the revival of prosper
Gus times the revenues have grown much
ha Short perod
will witness the obliteration of the annual
deficit In this connection the report of
the postmaster general .embodies state
ment of some evils which have grown
up outside of the contemplation Of law
in the treatment of some classes OF mail
lege of the pound rate, and shows that If
this matter had been properly classitied
and had paid the rate which il should
the last fiscal year of s6,6l0C00, there would
| have been on one basis d surplus of ST.
$3.50. and on another Of % aSs Ky, The ne
| the postmaster general, would not only
put the postal service at once on self.
and and valuable a'Is improvements. and / com
mend the subject to the consideration of
| the congress.
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, and says:
II cannot be doubted that congress will
armor plate for the Vessels now under
rotary Of the navy. in which the subject is
fully rte1 unite In his recon-
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
this country for the Maine, Ohio, and Mis-
souri,, and that the PROVISION. of the act
| to $500 per ton be removed.
In the matter of naval construction, Italy
and Japan. OF the great pow,esprss' laid down
under construction. l heartily concur In
| the recommendations for the increase of
Our future progress and prosperity de-
pend upon our ability to equal if not sur
| pass other nations in the enlargement and
merce. To invention we must turn as one
Of the most powerful aids to the accom-
plishment of such result. The attention
| of the congress is directed to the report
Of the Commissioners Of patents, in which
will be found valuable suggestions and
recommendations.
| 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 the desires expressed by the grand
army at ITS recent sncampment, and says:
| With the approval of the secretary of the
| interior, the commissioner CT pensions
recomniends that, in order to make the
practice at at times uniform and to do
Justice to the dependent widow, the amount
| OF income allowed Independent OF the
proceeds Of her daily laber should be not
less than $3.50 per annum, and be urges that
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 q. 1850, whose
income aside from the proceeds Of daily
labor is not in excess Of $3.50 per annum. i
| believe this to be a simple act of Justice
and heartily recommend it.
recommends an increase in the sppropria-
lions for this work of the interior depart
ment
~ The Census.
Tine CENSUS and the Pacific railroads are
treated as fDltoas;
\ In accordance with the All of cor gress
approved March 3, 1893. the Preliminary
work in connection with the twelfth cen
sus is now fully under way. The officers
required for the proper administration Of
asss mpo fsf sesan nssn proper
enumerationY OF the population, as well as
to secure evidence of the industrial growth
of the nation, is broader and more com
the past. The director advises that every
aeedfnl effort is being made to push THIS
great work to completion in the time lin.
BY he sfae VII, + f helieyed that
markable advance in all that pertains 10
national progress.
| The Pacific Railroads,
Under the authority OF the act of con-
consisting OF the secretary of the treas
pry. the attorney general and secretary
OF interior, has made an agreement Of
Of the indebtedness to the government
growing out of the issue of bonds to aid
in the construction of the Central Pacific