The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-12-08

i ClleeEGr 0Eaeu aFCEn tue military
\ service or the volunteers. CO.. Oficers and a. =
I S5i men we're serving in the PHILIPPINES and / -
60 OF the regulars, who were entitled 20 be mus
tered out after the ratification OF The treaty Of
! peace They voluntarily remained ~ the front
/ until their places could be nlied BY new troopS
! They were returned home In TIE order in which
/ they went 70 Manila. and are now all OF them
/ out OF the service and in the ranks Of citizen
| ship recommend that the CONGRESS provide
y special medal OF honor Tor the volunteers
! regulars. sailors. ard marines on duty in the
\ Philippines. who voluntarily remained in the
| service after their terms OF enlistment had eE-
pired-
] BY the act OF March , 1899. congress has. an
/ JhOrity 70 increase the regular army 70 a maxi
I mum not exceeding 5000 enlisted men and 70
enlist force OF % DJ volunteers 70 be recruited
J from the country at lar-e By virtue OF this au-
y thOrltT the regular army has been increased 70
Y the number OF 81 so enlisted men and 24s on
] GERS and new volunteer regiments have been or
gained acEreEatinE $3.50 enlisted men ana
I 1894 officers Two Of these volunteer regiments
I are made up Of cOlOred men with cOlored line
officers The new troops 70 take the place OF
those returning from the Philippines have been
I transport 20 Manila 20 the number OF 5sf on
GERS and 6s2 enlisted men Of the regular army
I and ga officers AMI 1883 enlisted men OF the
new volunteer force. while SOS Officers and a. -
I I19 men or the volunteer force are on the ocean
| en- route % Manila The force now in Manila
consists Of SO officers and Sl5lS regulars and
55f officers and IS. rs Of the volunteers making
an aggregate or .. g. officers and IS e66 men
When the tru. rs now under orders shall reach
Manila the fui CO in the archipelago will com
| prise 2t5i officers and 67,ss5 men The muster
I out OF the LreIt volunteer army organized for
the Spanish yarsrr,l the creart OF new army
the tran DO. l.-liOn from Mani q 70 san Francis
TO Of Tho ~e entitled 20 dlSr1arse and the trans
pOrtatiou Uf the new -rOCpS 20 take their place
have been work % great magnitude well and
ably done. for which too much credit cannot be
given the war department
During the past year we have redGced our
force in Cuba and Porto Rico In Cuba We now
have 80 officers and iO,o96 mszl: in Porto Rico,
s. officers and > So enlisted men and battalion
OF 800 men. composed CT native Porto Rioans;
while stationed thrOughout the United States
are go officers and lT,3l7 men and In hawaii, ~
Officers and 453 enlisted men
The operations Of the army are fully present.
ed IN the report Of the secretary OF war I can
not withhold from officers and men the highest
commentator for their sOldferly conduct IN
trying situations, their Will1-Z sacrifices for
their country and the interest and ability with
which they performed unusual and dificult du-
lies Ia our island possessions
In the organization OF the volunteer regiments
authorized BIZ the act OF March 2, 1929, it was
found that no provision had been made for
chaplains. This omission was doubtless from
inadvertence- 1 recommended the early su-
thOrizatiOn for the appointment OF one chap
lain for each OF said regiments. These regt-
that immediate action be taken
Postal Affairs In the Colonies
In restoring peaceful conditions. orderly rule,
and civic progress in Cuba Porto Rico, and, 50
far as practicable, IN the Philippines. the re-
habilitatfOn Of postal service has been i'm
pOrranu part OF the work It became necessary
20 provide mail facilities both for our forces OF
occupation and for the native population. To
meet this requirement has Involved sub
starlf4i reconstruction TIE listing systeI.l5
we're 50 fragmsntary. defective and inadeQ uate
that a new and comprehensive organization had
20 be created American trained officials have
been assigned 70 the directing and executive
possessions while natives have been chiefly
employed in making up the body OF the force
In working out this plan the merit rule has
been Vigorously and faithfully applied
Domestic Postal Service
The domestic postal service continues 70 grow
with extraordinary rspidity. The expenditures
and the revenues viii each exceed So. 900, 900
during the current year. Fortunately. since the
revival Of prosperous times the revenues have
grown much faster than the expenditures, and
there is every indication that short period viii
witness oblIteratiOn OF the annual deficit In
this connection the report Of the postmaster
general embodIeS q statement OF some evils
which have grown up outside OF the COntempla-
ton o. law in The treatment Of some classes Of
mail matter which wrongly exercises the privi-
leze OF pound rate, and shows that II this mat
ter had been properly classified and had paid
the rate which 10 should have paid, instead Of q
postal deficit the last fiscal year OF Sc. 900
there would have been on one basis a surplus Of
sl7 637-5TO and on another Of g 7s3-sS6- The re-
10TH Llu@ SAGEeSsl4- III me OPINION OF the
postmaster general would not only put the
postal service at once on . self-suStaininE
basis, but would permit great and vaiu-
able improvements, and commend the sub
Jet 70 the consideration OF congress
The Question OF Pensions.
On the 5Oth OF June, 1899. the pension roll OF
the United States numbered 931,5i9. These in
clude the pensioners OF the army and navy In
all our wars The number added 70 the rolls
during the year was 1891 The number dropped
-
limitations, failure 70 claim within three years
and other causes was 43,lS6, and the number Of
claims disalloWed was 107 ST. During the year
9-l54 pension certificates were Issued. OF which
1901 were for new or original pension The
amount discussed FOR army and navy pensions
during the year was SIss. S55, .52p5. which was
81, 65l.55l5l less than the sum Of the sppropris-
tons
The Grand Army Of the Republic az its re-
cent national eCcampDent held az Philadelphia
has brought 70 ny attention and 70 that Of con-
gresS the wisdom and justice OF modification
OF the third section Of the act Of June =. 1880,
which provides pensions for the widows OF
officers and enlisted men who served 81 days or
more during the war OF the rebellion and were
hOnorably discharged provided that such
widows are without other means OF support
than their daily labor asd were remarked 70
the soldier. sailor or marine on account Of
whose service they claim pension prior 70 the
date OF the act
The present holding Of the department IS that
II the widows income aside from her daily labor
does not exceed IN amount what her pension
would be, 70 Wiz SO per aunum, she would be
deemed 20 be without other means OF support
than her daily labor. and would Be entitled 20
pension under this act, while IL the Widows in
come. independent OF the amount received b.
her as the result OF her daily labor exceeds S96,
she would not be pensionable under the act
am advised BIZ the commissioner OF pensions
that the amount OF the income allowed before
title 20 pension would be barred has varied
widely under different administrations OF the
pension once. as vel as during different periods
OF the same administration, and has been the
cause OF Just complaint and criticism With the
approval Of the secretary OF the interior the
commissioner Of pensions recommends that. in
order 70 make the practice a. al times Uniform
Il