Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-12-07

listed men and a battalion of 400 men
composed of native Porto Ricans;
while stationed throughout the United
States are $40 officers and 1917 men
and in Hawaii IL officers and i53 en-
listed men. Provision for chaplains is
urged.
Postal facilities fol our colonial
| possessions have been constructed.
| The domestic postal service continues
10 grow with extraordinary rapidity.
| The expenditures and the revenues will
each exceed s100,000,000 during the
current year Fortunately, since the
| revival of prosperous times the reve-
nues have grown much faster than the
expenditures, and there is every indl-
cation that a short period will witness
the obliteration of the annual deficit.
In this connection the report of the
| postmaster general embodies a state
ment of some evils which have grown
/ up outside of the contemplation of law
in the treatment of some classes of
mail matter which wrongly exercise
the privilege of the pound rate, and
L
properly classified and had paid the
rate which it should have paid, instead
of a postal deficit for the last fiscal
year of S6,610,000 there would have
! been on one basis a surplus of Sl7,-
| 637 $40, and on another of 1913, 1886.
| fhe reform thus suggested would not
only put the postal service at once on
a self-sustaining basis but would permit
great and valuable improvements, and
! it is commended TO the consideration
of the congress.
The provision of the act of March
3, 1899, limiting the price OF armor
plate to $500 ought to be removed, the
president says. He also concurs in the
recommendations for the increase of
the navy, as suggested by the secre-
tary,
Pensions.
June 30, 1899, the pension roll num-
bered 991, $40. The number added dur
ing the year was 40,99l. The number
dropped for all causes was 43, lS6, and
the number OF claims disallowed was
l07,919. During the year 1854 PEN
sion certificates were issued, of which
1907 were for new pensions. The
amount disbursed for army and navy
pensions was $13S, 1855, O52.95, which was
1851, 461.61 less than the appropria-
ton. The present holding OF the de-
partment is that if the widows in
come aside from her daily labor does
not exceed in amount what her PEN
sion would be, to-wit: $96 per annum,
she would be deemed to be without
other means of support than her daily
labor, and would be entitled to a pen
sion under this act, while if the
widows income Independent of the
amount received by her as the result
of her daily labor exceeds 500, she
would not be pensionable under the
act The amount of the income al
lowed before title to pension is barred,
has varied widely under different ad-
ministrations of the pension Office In
! order to make the practice at all times
uniform and to do justice to the de-
pendent widow, the amount of income
| allowed independent of the proceeds
of her daily labor should be not less
than $3.50 per annum, and the presi-
dent urges that the congress shall so
amend the act to that effect,
That Railway Matter
Allusion is made to the census pre-
! liminaries and to the fact that our
agreement with the Pacific roads Sc
cures to the government the principal
and interest of said bonds, amounting
to s5S, 12,715.4S. The whole indebted
ness was about $4,000 900, more than
half of which consisted OF accrued in
| terest for which sum the government
| has realized the entire amount less
about $4,000, 600 within a period of two
years.
At the present time We have total
of So forest reservations, embracing
an estimated area of i6 ,02l ,S99 acres.
The additions during the past year
amount to over 100000 acres Forest
protection is encouraged, the work of
|
mended the introduction of tea cul-
ture to the south is spoken Of, and a
good word is spoken for improved
| highways.
The Philippines.
Dec. 10, 1898, the treaty Of peace be-
tween the United States and Spain was
signed and in this way the Philippines
came TO the United States. The Islands
were ceded by the government Of
spain They were accepted not merely
| by our authorized commissioners in
Paris, but by the constitutional and
well considered action OF the repre-
sentatiyes Of the people Of the United
States in both houses OF congress. Il
| had every reason TO believe, and | still
| believe, that this transfer Of sover-
eighty was in accordance with the
wishes and the aspirations OF the great
mass OF the Filipino people, declares
/ the president. The steps taken 70 win
/ the confidence and good will Of the
natives are set forth in detail. But -"
l -a,.- bs praafHnpt 81 al CT ~, "a b.