The Oskaloosa herald., 1900-12-06

=, pun s,,1Iy sesrrsonsd require 5000 troops.
Many Of these posts are along our trontisr
ar al important strategic points, the occu-
patton of which is necessary.
The Need of Soldiers.
We have in Cuba between 5000 ard 6, COG
troops For the present our troops IN tnat
island cannot be withdrawn or materlaIy
diminished, and certainly not until the con,
clusion Of the labors of the constitutional
convention now in session ana govern
ment provided by the new consn a,ll,9oi.
In Porto Rico we have reduced the gar
risons to lSSO which inei9 foe t SST we
duction here We will be required 10
keep considerable force in the Philip
pine islands for some time to come. From
the best information obtainable we shall
need there for the immediate future from
$4,000 to 10000 men. am sure the num-
shall come to acknowledge the author
Ity of the United States, of which there
are assuring Indications.
IT may be apparent that we win re-
duire an army Of about $1,000, and that
during present conditions in Cuba and
the Philippines the president should have
present number of 100000 Included in
this number authority should be given TO
raise native troops In the philippines up
lieve will be more effective in detecting
and suppressing guerrillas, ,assassins and
Ladrones than our own soldiers.
the secretary of war in his annual report
Is called to your earnest attention.
A Medal for Volunteers.
renew the recommendation made in my
last annual message that the congress pro-
vide a special medal of honor for the vol
unteers, regulars, sailors and marines on
duty in the Philippines who Voluntarily re-
manned in the service after their terms or
enlistment had expired.
favor the recommendation of the Sec
rotary of war for the detail of officers
. ~ u . zlfc
occur in the adjutant generals DEPART
ment. inspector generals department,
quartermaster generals department, sub
sistence department, pay department, ord
nance department and signal corps
The army cannot be too highly COM
mended for its faithful and effective serv-
field and the difficult work Of clvil admins
trRuon-
The Postal Service.
The continued and rapid growth of the
postal service is sure index of the greet
and increasing business activity of the
country. Its most striking new develop
ment is the extension of rural free delivery.
last year. At the beginning of the fiscal
year 1S99-1900 the number of routes in,
had been running less than u months. On
the 18th of November, 1900, the number had
increased to 2,614, reaching into "A states
and t ter Ei and serving PoPTaattSSn
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 1000 routes viii have been es-
tablished, providing for the daily delivery
of mails at the scattered homes Of about
100000 of rural population. af
Value of Rural Delivery.
This service ameliorates the isolation Of
farm life, conduces to good roads, and
quickens and extends the dissemination of
general information. Experience thus tar
has tended to allay the apprehension thRt
1t would be so expensive as to forbid It's
general adoption or make 1t a serious bur-
den. Its actual application has shown that
it increases postal receipts, and can be &C.
companied by reductions in other branches
Of the service so that the augmented r9y-
enues and the accomplished savings 30
gether materially reduce the net cost Yhe
evidences which point to these conclusions
are presented in detail in the annual re-
port of the postmaster general which with
its recommendations is recommended 70
the consideration of the congress. The full
development of this special service, hoy
ever, requires such large outlay OF money
that 1t should be undertaken only after
careful study and thorough understanding
Of all that it involves.
The Navy.
Very efficient service has been rendered
by the navy in connection with the insHr-
rection in the Philippines and recent DIS
turbance in China.
A very satisfactory settlement has been
made of the long-pending question of the
able price has been secured and the ne
cessity for government armor plant
avoided. 3
l approve of the recommendation of the
secretary of the navy for new vessels ard
for additional officers and men which the
required increase of the navy makes neces-
sary. l commend to the favorable action
of the congress the measure now pending
for the erection of statue to the mem
DRY of the late Admiral David ID. Porter.
l commend also the establishment Of a
national naval reserve and of the grade
of vice admiral. Provision should be made, i
as recommended by the secretary, for suit
able rewards for special merit. Many
officers who rendered the most distin-
guished service during the recent war with
Spain have received in return no recogni-
ton from the congress.
Our Public Lands.
The total area Of public lands as given
by the secretary of the interior is approx
int tely 1,01 ISL, 662 acres, of which 917,-
995,SS0 acres are undisposed of, and 154, 49,
1872 acres have been reserved for various
ing the year amount to 13,45S $3.50 acres.
including 62,423.O9 acres of Indian lands
an increase of An ,474SO over the proceed
ing year. The total receipts from the sale
of public lands during the fiscal year
were $4,379,75S.10. an increase of $780,
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 pub
lie for its continuance and increased APP
preparations by the congress for the car
rying on of the work. On June 30, 1900
there were 81 forest reserves, created. by
presidential proclamations under section
an area of 46,425,529 acres
The Forest Reserves.
During the past year the Olympic re-
serve, in the state of Washington, was
reduced 265,G40 acres, leaving its present
area at 1925 $40 acres, The Prescott re-
serve, in Arizona, was increased from TO-
$40 acres to 423.6SO acres, and the Big Horn
LIP, 500 acres to 1,1S0S0O acres. A new
reserve, the Santa Ynez, in California,
embracing an area of $4,000 acres, was
1850, the Crow Creek forest reserve, in
Wyoming, was created, with an area Of
$500 acres.
At the end of the fiscal year there were
on the pension roll 993,225 names, a net
increase of 2,010 over the fiscal year 1899
The number added to the rolls during
bursed for army pensions during the year
f 80 and f9T T navy IA pensions
to be covered into the treasury, which
gears expenditure eR Of si0, 70. There
the year by special acts passed at the
first session of the Fifty-sixth congress
The act Of May 1900, among other
come to widows pensioned under said
act to $3.50 per annum. The secretary Of
the interior believes that by the opera
pensioned under 1t will increase and the
viii Be Between IS, $1,000 and a,O6S co.
services of its soldiers and sailors by
making pension payments liberal beyond
precedent to them, their widows and or
phans.
There were 26,54O letters patent granted,
including reissues and designs, during