The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-12-15
Domestic Postal Service.

4
expenditures and the revenues will each
exceed 500 200, 900 during the current year.
Fortunately, since the revival of prosper
faster than the Expenditures, and there
lis every indication that short period
will witness the obliteration Of; the annual
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 prtvi-
lege Of the pound rate, and shows that II
this matter had been properly classified
and had paid the rate which It should
ths Of there
6s7,57O. and on another Of $5,733.S36. The
the postmaster general. would not only
put the postal service at once on self
sustaining basis, but would permit great
and valuable improvements, and COM
mend the subject to the consideration OF
the congress. .-r.lS- grs-
He concurs in the recommendations made
by the secretary of the navy for the In
crease Of that branch Of the public service
plate for the vessels now building.
1t cannot be doubted that congress will
at once make for the
contract and building. It's attention is re-
spectfully called to the report of the sec
rotary of the navy, in which the subject is
mendation that the congress enact such
special legislation as may be necessary
to enable the department to make con-
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
Of March g. 1889. limiting the price Of armor
In the matter of naval construction, Italy
and Japan, of the great powers, laid down
less tonnage in the year 1899 than this
country, and Italy alone has less tonnage
the recommendations for the increase OF
the navy, as suggested by the Secretary
Our future pr9 3y1,s and prosperity de-
pass other nations in the enlargement and
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 anC
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
reeites the ;es desires expressed by the Grand
With the approval of the secretary of the
interior, the commissioner of pensions
recommends that. in order to make the
practice at all times uniform and to dc
justice to the dependent widow, the amount
of income allowed Independent of the
proceeds Of her daily labor should be moi
the congress shall so amend the act as
to permit the pension Office to grant pen
sionable status to widows under the terms
income aside from the proceeds Of daily
labor is not in excess of $3.50 per -annum.
believe this to be a simple act of justice
and heartily recommend it.
On the subject of forest reservations he
recommends an increase in the appropria.
lions for this work of the interior depart.
ment.
The Census.
The census and the Pacific railroads are
treated as follows:
In accordance with the act of congress:
approved March 3, 1899. the preliminary
sus is now fully Under WAYS ' The ofi ee
required for the proper administra ton O.
The provision for securing a proper
to secure evidence of the Industrial growth
OF the nation, is broader and more com
pSre Pre- thannany similar legislation il
needful effort is being made to push thi
great work to completion in the time lin
1 1Sa by the statute It is believed tina
markable advance in all that pertains t.
national progress.
The Pacific Railroads.
Under the authority of the act Of con
gress approved July T. 1898, the commission
consisting con Of the secretary OF, the treas
Of interior, has made an agreement O
settlement, which has had my approval
Of the indebtedness to the government
IN the eonstruction of 1 the Central Pacit III,
and Western Pacific railroads. The agree
ment secures to the government til,
at no of rh saa has 6g peez
paid thereon s11,762 ,543.12, which has beer
covered into the treasury, and the re
mainder, payable within ten years, with
interest at the rate of three per cent. pei
annum, payable semiannually, is secured
ny the deposit of an equal amount of frs
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:
K Ka1on eael1cs S. 2 22s 4
Central and Western Pacific,
casn. 49,. :,.-...-. .........-- 1l,1B3l4. i
Kansas Pacific dividends for
deficiency due United States,
cdSH ........... .................. S21 1877 .T
Making total of. 1924, 421 ,6O7 g;
The whole Indebtedness was about $780,
C9o0OO, more than half of which consisted
OF accrued interest, for which sum the
government has realized the entire amount
less about $6,0O0.OO0 within a period of two
years.
Department of Agriculture.
Regarding the work Of the department OF
estimable value Of the department to our tl
agricultural interests, and says Of it: ="
;. Markets are being sought and opened up
sS and f ia %s and f hee oHpe I
education of the young farmer through
agricultural college and experiment. sta
tons, with opportunity given to specialize
promising. The people Of Hawaii, Porto
Rico, and the Philippine islands, should be
helped, by the establishment Of experiment
the production Of coffee, india rubber and
demand in the United States ~
provement Of our public highways at the
present time, and the department Of agri-
culture is cooperating with the people in
roads, from local material and in expert
menting with steel tracks. A more intelli-
gent system of manag ing the forests of the
is being put b in and
lem is being conducted throughout the
United States, a very extensive and COM
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
of 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
eminent, and of this says:
From the earliest moment no opportuni-
ty was lost of assuring the people of the
fare and of the Intention of this govern
ment to do everything possible to advance
their interests; In my order of the 18th
"a ary to q the h eh m
pines was instructed. to declare that we
came not to make war upon the people
of that country. NOR upon any party or
in their homes, in their employments and
in their personal and religious rights
That there should be no doubt as to the
authority there. he 17tl,