The true northerner., 1900-12-07
this number authority
Pa iae nafivs froopS In 4

to 1900, which the Tai
lieve will be more enecl
and suppressing guerillas.
LadrOneS than our own soA
There are hfty-eight or ny
posts in the United states othel-0y~.o
coast defense fortihcations.
The number OF these posts IL being cofl-
stantly increased by the congress-. More
than So, 900 900 have been expended I'm
building and equipment and they can only
be cared for by the regular army The
posts now in existence and others 10 be
built provide for accommodations Tor, and
II fully garrisoned require, 5000 troops.
Many OF these posts are along our from
tier at important strategic points, the
occupation of which is necessary.
The Postal Service.
The continued and rapid growth OF the
postal service is a sure index OF the great
and increasing business activity oil ths
country Its most striking new develop
ment is the extension of rural free deliv-
cry. This has come almost wholly within
the last year. At the beginning OF the
fiscal year 1S99-l9O0 the number OF routes
In operation was only 39l, and most OF
these had been running less than twelve
months. On the 18th OF November, 1900.
the number had increased to 2,6l4. reach
Ing into forty-four states and territories
and serving a population OF 1,SOl, ,52f. Ths
number of applications now penang and
awaiting action nearly equals all those
granted up to the present time, and by
the close of the current fiscal year about
1000 routes will have been established.
providing for the daily delivery OF mails
a half Millions of rural population.
This service ameliorates the isolation OF
farm life, conduces to good roads and
quickens and extends the dissemination
OF general information. Experience thus
far has tended to allay the apprehension
that 1t would be so expensive as TO forbid
It's general adoption or make IL a serious
burden It's actual application has shown
that IL increases postal receipts, and can
be accompanied by reductions in other
branches OF the service, so that the aug
mented revenues and the accomplished
savings together materially reduce the
net cost
Pensions and Patents.
AT the end OF the fiscal year there wers
on the pension roll g names, a net
increase T6e nnn6 OF 700 % over fiscal year 1899
year was 1914. The amount disbursed for
army pensions during the year was $134,-
IOo55I "a and for navy pensions SO, ,76l, ,633 Al,
total of $l3S 462, ,130 90. leaving an unexs
pended balence Of s5,542,76s 70 to be cow
cred into the treasury, which shows an in
crease over the previous years expendi-
ture of S1O7,07 20. There were 6S4 names
added to the rolls during the year by spe-
cial acts passed at the first session of the
nfty-slxth congress.
The act Of May Q, 1900, among other
things, provides for an extension of In
come 10 WIDOWS pensioned under said act
10 S2oo per annum. The secretary OF the
interior believes that by the operations OF
this act the number of persons pensioned
under 1t will increase and the Increased
annual payment for pensions will be be.
tween 5000 900 and $4,000, 900.
The government justly appreciates the
services or its soldiers and sailors by max
ing pension payments liberal beyond pre-
cedent to them their widow and orphans
There We're 26.54O letters patent granted,
including reissues and designs, during the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1900; 1850 trade
marks. 6S2 labels. and SO prints registered.
The number OF patents which expired was
1883 The total receipts for patents were
$1,35S,22S 80. The expenditures were 81
241,SZ1 5S, showing a surplus of S110, 400 II.
Naval Affairs.
Very efficient service has been rendered
by the navy in connection with the insur-
rection in the Philippines and the recent
disturbance in China.
A very satisfactory settlement has been
made of the long pending question of the
manufacture of armor plate. A reason
able price has been secured and the ne
cessity for government armor plant
avoided.
Public Lands.
The total area of public lands as given
by the secretary OF the interior, is approx
inately 1,01,Sl,662 acres. of which 917,-
l35, $50 acres are undsposed of and 154,-
745,7S2 acres have been reserved for vari-
GUS purposes. The public lands disposed
OF during the year amount to 13 AS, ,SS7 90
acres, including 81, 4230s acres of Indian
preceding year The total receipts from
the sale of public lo1ds during the fiscal
year were A.37s75s -, an increase of ST.
p,620 76 over the preceding year.
The results obtained from our forest
policy have demonstrated it's wisdom and
the necessity in the interest OF the public
for its continuance and increased appro-
priations by the congress for the carrying
on OF the work. On June go 1900, there
We're 81 forest reserves, created by presi-
Dental proclamations under section "a
OF the act OF March 3, 1884, embracing an
area Of 46, .529 acres.
During the past year the Olympic re-
reduced 265,O4O acres. leaving its present
area al 1925, $40 acres. The Prescott re-
serve in Arizona was increased from 10.-
240 acres to 423 $50 acres. and the Big
Horn reserve, in Wyoming, was increased
from 1,127.6S0 acres to 1,1SO, 500 acres. A
new reserve, the Santa Ynez, In Califor-
was created during this year. On Oc-
tober 10. 1900, the Crow Creek forest re-
serve, In Wyoming, was created.
The Recent Census.
The president states that matters In
connection with the 18th census are pro-
crossing favoraby. He says ne popula-
ton of Hawaii is 154,001. an increase of
a. 9S1 I'm four years. Regarding the United
States bulletins are being issued as rap
idly al possible.
The department of agriculture has been
extending its work during the past year,
reaching farther for new varieties OF
seeds and plants; cooperating more fully
with the states and territories in re-
search along useful lines; making prog
ress in meteorological work relating to
lines of wireless telegraphy and forecasts
for ocean-going vessels; continuing In
Qulry as 10 animal disease, LOOKING into
the extent and character of food adul-
teration; outlining plans for the care,
preservation and intelligent harvesting
of our woodlands studying soils that
producers may cultivate with better
knowledge Of conditions, and helping TO
clothe desert places with grasses suitable
to our arid regions. Our island possessions
are being considered that their peoples
may be helped to produce the tropical
products now so extensively brought into
the United States. Inquiry into methods
of improving our roads has been active
during the year; help has been given to
many localities, and scientific investiga-
tion of material in the states and terri
tories has been inaugurated. Irrigation
problems in our semi-arid regions are re-
ceiving careful and increased considera-
tion.
An extensive exhibit at Paris of the
products of agriculture has made the peo-
pies of many countries more familiar
with the varied products of our fields
and their comparative excellence.
Various Matters.
The president recommends an amend
ment TO the alien labor law and the g.
hour law, and states that he has instruct
ed the Philippine commission TO inau-
guarate civil service examinations on the
Islands. He says good word for tho