Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-11-09
THE SIGNAL OFFICE.
Gen. Greedy Makes a Report on the
Work of His Department.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY SERVICE.
The First Assistant Postmaster General
Speaks in It's Praise and Says 1t Has
Caused increase Receipts-United
States Treasurer's Report.

Washington, Nov. 6.-TThe extent to
which the government is constructing
and operating cable and telegraph
| lines as result of recent territorial
acquisitions and controls is brought
out in the report of Gen. Greedy, chief
signal officer. This shows that the
! telegraph system of Cuba, formerly
owned and operated by Spain, has been
| taken over and developed by the signal
corps and that at the close of the fiscal
year $500 miles of line were in opera
! ton, of which 600 miles were absolute
| 1y new lines and the remainder largely
reconstructed.
Gen. Greedy discusses the question of
Cuban cable and telephone concessions,
showing the legal and diplomatic diff
culties surrounding them, as well as
the practical difficulties under which
the military cable lines are kept in
operation. He recommends the laying
of a deep sea cable between Porto
Rico and Cuba which would cost $780,
900. By this means all communications
between Porto Rico and the United
States would pass over strictly Ameri-
can lines.
In the Philippines Gen. Greedy shows
that the efforts of the United States to
lay cables for military operations was
antagonized by the private companies
owning lines there. A vague idea of
the magnitude of the signal corps work
under Maj. Thompson's supervision in
the Philippines, he says, may be con-
veyed by the statement that over the
telegraph system alone more than
300, 600 messages, many long and all on
public business, were transmitted in
the ten months ended June 80, and over
45. 900 in May alone.
AS to the Pacific cable, the report
says in part:
In order to join closer together the United
States and it's Pacific colonies it is essential to
span the Pacific by a submarine cable,
commended by the president to congress in his
special message of February 10, 1899. The great
value of such cable is not alone for military
purposes, but more especially for the fostering
of industrial interests in the new colonies and
in order to facilitate commercial operations
Wireless telegraphy receives consid-
cradle attention. Gen. Greedy says
that as means of connecting the is
lands of the West Indies, Hawaii and
the Philippines, which are in the range
of its action, wireless biography should
prove of value. The signal corps ex-
periments have shown that it's officers
and men are able to furnish practic-
able system of wireless telegraphy.
Gen. Greedy says there is no reasonable
doubt that in the immediate future
wireless telegraphy will replace, with
equal advantage to commerce and the
army. the military cables necessary to
connect harbor Notifications.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
Washington, Nov. GA vigorous
plea for rural free delivery is made in
the annual report of First Assist
ant Postmaster General Perry S. Heath,
made public last night. Mr.. Heath
says the service so far has resulted in
increased postal receipts; enhancement
of the value of farm lands reached by
rural free delivery of from So to So per
acre; a general improvement of the
condition of the roads traversed by the
rural carriers; better prices for farm
products, the producers being brought
into daily touch with the state of the
markets, besides educational benefits
conferred by relieving the monotony of
farm life through ready access to
wholesome literature and knowledge
of current events. On November 1
rural free delivery was in successful
operation in over 363 services, radiating
over 40 states and one territory, Idaho,
Wyoming, Mississippi and Montana
D01nR Inc only SOdGOS uAE0prSSOnGGSl
Between the beginning of the new fiscal
year, July 1, 1899. and November, at an
additional expenditure of $3.50, 600, rural
free delivery has been extended to
nearly 100000 persons, at an annual
cost of about "a cents per capita
against an average per capita cost of
So. so in small towns of 5, ZOO population.
UNITED STATES TREAsURER's REPORT.
Washington, Nov. ellis 81. Roberts,
treasurer of the United States, in his
annual report to Secretary Gage, sums
up the operations of the fiscal year by
saying:
notable activity was exhibited in all kinds
of currency, with marked increase in the use
of gold coin. while the prosperity of the country
has at time left any part Of the government
notes in the treasury above the demands of
daily business in its several offices.
He also says that:
The effect of the new revenue law is shown in
the receipts for the year in which there
increase in 1898 of S55 553, 419 from customs and
| SlO2, $50 from internal revenue. The co1lec-
tionS of internal revenue were larger than those
| for any previous year with the exception only
| of 1865, and the total ordinary receipts which
amounted to S515 $3.50, So were also the largest
| on record, with the sane exception. The net
an amount exceeded only twice-in 1868 and
1864. There deficiency of S89, 111,559 in the
| ordinary revenues.
No Change in Vice Presidents Condition.
| Paterson, n. J., Nov. 6.-Everything
was quiet at the Hobart residence
| 1ae+ nirbt and there was no CHANCE