The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-12-05

More ships and Men Needed to keep
Pace with the Wines.

Pace with the Times.
For the first time In our history naval
| mancuVers on a large scale are being held
undsr the immediate command Of the adj
miral OF the navy. Constantly Increasing
attention Is bcirg paid 10 the gunrery Of
the navy, but IL Is yet Ear from what II
/ should be. earnestly urge that the IN
l crease asked for by The secretary OF the
navy in the appropriation for improving
| the marksmaESnip be granted. In battle
the only shots that count are the shots that
hit. 1t IS necessary to provide ample
FUNDS Tor practice with ths great guns In
time OF peace. These FUNDS must provide
not only Tor the purchase OF projectiles. but
for allowances Tor prizes 10 encourage the
gun crews. aad especially the gun pointers,
4 ard for perfecting ar Intelligent system
under which alone 4 is possible 10 set good
There should be no halt in the work Of
] building up the ravy providing every year
4 additional fighting craft. We are very
rich country. vast in extent OF territory and
great in populations; country. moreover.
which has an army dimirutive indeed when
compared with that OF any other flrst-class
power. We have deliberately mace our
own certain foreign poAcies which demand
/ the possession OF a first-claSs navy. The
isthmian canal will greatly increase the
efficiency OF our navy i the navy Is of suf-
ic;ent size; bur II we have an Inaccurate
be merely giving hostage to any power
OF superior strength. The Monroe doctrine
should be treated as the cardinal feature OF
worse than idle TO assert It unless We in
tended 70 back II up and II can be backed
up only by thoroughly good navy. good
navy Is not provocative OF war. II is the
surest guaranty OF peace.
Each Individual unit OF our navy should
be the most efficient OF Its kind as regards
both material anc personnel that is 10 be
found in the world | call your special at
tention TO the need OF providing for the
manning Of the ships. Serious trouble
we are now doing as regards securing the
services OF sufficient runber OF the high
est type OF saiiormen. OF sea mechanics
The veteran seamen OF our warships are
OF as high type as car be found In any
navy which rides the waters OF the world;
they are unsurpassed in daring. in resoiu-
OF their profession They deserve every
consideration that can be shown them
But there arr. not enough OF them. II is
no more possible 20 improvise a crew than
II Is possible TO improvisec warship. TO
build the finest ship. with the deacliest
battery. ard 10 serd 4 anoat with raw
crew. no matter how brave they were In
divicusily, would be % insure disaster II
A foe az average capacity were encountered
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
We resc a thousarf additional officers IN
ORDER 70 properly man the ships now pro-
vicee for ard under construction. The
classes az the naval school a Annapolis
should be greatly e,.argec. At the same
time that We thus add the officers where
we need them. we shouis facilitate the re-
whose usefulness has become Impaired
Promotion must be fostered IL The sery-
Ice is 10 be kept efficient.
There Is not cloud on the horizon IT
present. There seems not the slightest
chance OF trouble with a foreign power
We most earnestly hope that this state
OF things may continue: and the way to
insure It's continuance is 10 provide for
a thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal
70 maintain such a navy would invite
d lTenDle, ana \ trouble came would insure
vanity. or Observation-Disclosures I'm refusing
70 prepare for danger. is both foolish and
wicked ~ such nation as ours: and
PAST experience has shown that such
Iatulty IN refusing to recognize or pre-
pare for any crisis In advance Is usually
s,o ae ,y mad panic OF historical
rear once the crisis has actually arrived
Rural Free Delivery.
The striking Increase IN the revenues
OF tne post ONCE department shows clear
~ the prosperity OF cur people and the
increasing activity Of the business OF the
The receipts % the post Office dcpart-
ment for the Ascal year ending June 90
last amounted To sisi. OFFS. an Increase
81 sv2ls.S5Al over IRE preceding year.
the largest increase known In the history
Or the postal re-vice. The magnitude Of
this increase viii best appear ON the
fact mat the entire postal r, ctlpts for
the year 1860 amounted 10 but Ss5is os7
Rural free delivery service is no longer
IN the experimental stage: II has become
liked policy. The results following its
introduction have fully justified the con-
gress in the large neutrality-suspicious. made
for its establishment and extension. The
ceipts IN the rural districts OF the coun-
Try is about two per cent We are now
able by actual results. 10 show that
where rurnl free delivery service has
been established TO such an extent as 10
enable US to make comparisons the yearly
Increase has been upward OF ten per
cent.
On November I, 1907. 1850 rural free
delivery routes had been established and
were IN operation. covering about one
third Of the territory Of the United States
available for rural free delivery service
There are now awaiting the action OF the
department. petitions and applications for
routes. This shows conciusivelv the want
which the establishment OF the service
has met and the need OF further extend
ing 4 as RAPIDLY as possible. II Il justi-
ned both by the financial results and by
the practical benefits To our rural non
ulafion: u brings the men who live on
the soil into close relations with the ac-
in daily touch with the markets: n IS q
potential educational force: II enhances
TIE value q farm property. makes farm
HE far pleasanter and less isolated and
VIII do much to check the undesira bic
current from country TO city.
IL Is to be hoped that the congress WIN
tinuance OF the service already es,eh-
Hshed and for ITS further extension
Progress az Irritation.
Few subjects OF more Importance have
been taken up by the congress in rerent
years than the Inauguration OF the sva-
TEN OF nationally aided irrigation for the
arid regions OF the far west A good he
ginning therein has been made. Now
that this policy of national trriu ton mas
been adopted. the need or thorough
and scientific forest protection will grow
more rapidly than ever throughout the
pubiic-land states.
So far as they are available for agrt-
culture. and to whatever extent they
may be reclaimed under the national m.
rigation law. the remaining public lands
should be held rgidly for the home
builder. the settler who lives on his land.
and for no one else. In their actual use
the desert-land law. the timber and stone
law. and the Communication clause Of the
homestead law have been so perverted
from the intention with which they were
enacted as 10 permit the acquisition u
larrc areas OF the public domain for 9TH
er than actual settlers and the conse-
quent prevention Of settlement More
over, the approa ching exhaustion OF the
public ranges has Of late led 10 much
discussion as to the best manner 81 using
these public lands In the west which are
suitable chiefly or only for grazing The
sound and steady development Of the
homes therein. Much OF our prosperity
a. a nation has been due to the opera
ton OF the homestead Law. On the other
hand. we should recognlne the fact thai
In the grazing region the man who cor
able n settle permanently n only allowed
n =. a hR 90 es4.4 ~ -