Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1900-12-06

| the secretary OF war III liz
is called to your earnest attentlon
I renew the recommendation maoe "a
my last annual message tnat Inc
gress provide a special meual tiorH and
for the volunteers, regulars sailors ~
marines on duty in the e.
voluntarily remained in the service aIter
their terms of enlistment had e1Ph sac-
1 favor the recommendation OF Ihe SEE
rotary of war for a detail Oh onnGeLS
the line of the army When VaGdhc5e9
cur in the adJutant generals uSHant
ment, inspector generals department
Quartermaster generals department SUI
sistence department. pay department
rdnance department and slgnaI coLpS.
The army cannot be too mighty COM
| mended for its faithful and enectfVe seTN-
ice in active military operations In the
field and the difficult work OF CIVIL ad-
ministration.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY A FEA-
TURE.
The continued and rapid growth OF tne
postal service is a sure index OF the srga
and increasing business activity Oh the
country. It's most striking new deVeIop-
! ment is the extension OF rural Tree &c
livery. This has come almost Wn9ny
within the last year. At the oeginnlns
of the fiscal year 1S99-1900 the number OF
routes in operation was only 3l ana mos
of these had been running. less nan
twelve months. On the 18th or November,
1900, the number had increased to 2,6l4'
reaching into forty-four states ana ter
ritories, and serving a population OIL
1,S01, 524. The number of applications now
pending and awaiting action nearly
EQUALS all those granted up to the present
time, and by the close OF the current
fiscal year about 1900 routes VIII nave
been established. providing for the daily
delivery of mails at the scattered homes
of about 100000 rural population. =
This service ameliorates the isolation or
farm life, conduces to good roads, ana
quickens and extends the dissemination
of general Information. Experience thus
far has tended to allay the ap~prenensloh
that it would be so expensive as TO Tor
bid its general adoption or to make IL a
serious burden. It's actual application mas
shown that it increases postal receipts,
and can be accompanied by reductions IN
other branches OF the service, so that
the augmented revenues and the accom-
pliShed savings together materially re-
duce the net cost. The evidences Whlcn
point to these conclusions are presented
in detail in the annual report of the post
master general, which, with its recon-
mendations, is recommended to the con-
sideration of the congress. The full! de-
velopment of this special service. now
ever, requires such a large outlay OF
money that it should be undertaken only
after a careful study and thorough I'M
Outstanding of all that 1T involves.
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT AFFAIRS.
The total area of public lands as given
by the secretary Of the interior IS ap-
proXimately 1,01, SS1, 662 acres, of which
81, 935 $50 acres are undisposed or ana
154, 145, 1872 acres have been reserved for
various purposes. The public lands dis
posed of during the year amount TO To-
453, SS7. 90 acres, including 81, 423.09 acres OF
Indian lands, an increase of 4,21. 474.S0
over the preceding year. The total re-
ceipts from the sale of public lands dur
ing the fiscal year were &,379, 1870. an
increase of $1,309, $40. IS over the preceding
year.
The results obtained from our forest
policy have demonstrated Its wisdom and
the necessity in the interest Of the public
for it's continuance and increased appro-
on of the work. On June 80, 1900, there
were thirty-Seven forest reserves, created
by presidential proclamations under sec
t ton "a OF the act ct ct OF a! Ma aGS :; 1891 en-
SOME GENERAL RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.
In my annual message of December 5,
1898, L called attention to the necessity
tract law. There still remain important
features of the rightful application of the
eight-hour law for the benefit of labor
and of the principle of arbitration, and
1 again commend these subjects to the
careful attention of the congress.
hat there may be secured the best
service possible in the Philippine islands
| have issued, under date of November
10, 1900, the following order:
THE United States civil service COM
mission is directed to render such as
sistance as may be practicable to the
civil service board, created under the act
of the United States Philippine commits
sion, for the establishment and mainte-
nance of an honest and efficient civil
service in the Philippine islands, and for
that purpose to conduct examinations for
the civil service of the Philippine islands,
board of said islands, under such regu-
lations as may be agreed uIon by the
said board and the said United States
civil service commission"
The civil service commission is greatly
embarrassed in its work for want of an
ADEQUATE permanent force for clerical
set forth in it's report. I invite atten-
ton to the report, and especially urge
upon the congress that this important
bureau OF the public service which passes
upon the qualifications and character of
so large a number of the officers and en-
pioyes of the should be sup
ported by all needed appropriations to
promptnesS and efficiency.
L am very much impressed with the
statement made by the heads of all the
departments of the urgent necessity of a
hall of public records. In every depart
mental building in Washington. so far
as 1 am informed, the space for official
walls of rooms are lined with shelves,
the middle floor space of many rooms is
filled with file cases, and garrets and
which were never intended,
and are untitled for their accommodation,
are crowded with them. Aside from the
there is great danger, not
only from fire, but from the weight Of
these records upon timbers not intended
for their support. There should be a
separate building especially designed for
the purpose OF receiving and preserving
the annually accommodating archives of
the several executive departments. Such
a hall need not be a costly structure. but
should be so arranged as to permit Of
enlargement from time to time. I ur-
gently recommend that the congress take
early action in this matter.
The transfer of the government to this
city is a fact of great historical interest.
Among the people there is a feeling Of
pride in the capital of the repub-
lie. 1t is a matter of interest in this
connection that in 1900 the population of
the District of Columbia was 14,O93; today
it is 27S, us. The population of the city
OF Washington was then 3,21O; today it
is 21S, 1856.
The congres having provided for IAN
appropriate national celebration of the
centennial anniversary of the establish
ment OF the seat of government IN the
of Columbia the committee
authorized by it have prepared a pro-
gram for the 18th of December. 1900.
which date has been selected as the an
nlversary day. Deep interest has been
in the arrangements for the cele-
bration by the members of the commit
tees of the senate and house of repre-
the committee of governors
appointed by the president, and the com
appointed by the citizens and in
of the District of Columbia.
generally. The program. in addition to