The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-12-04

and ef,iclent system should be adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary OF war to Keep cavalry ana or
tillery horses worn out in long perform
ance Of duty Such horses fetch but
trifie when sold, and rather than turn
them out to the misery awaiting n tnem
when thus disposed of II would be better
to employ them at light work around the
posts and when necessary to put them
painlessly to death
For the first time in our history naval
maneuvers on large scale are being held
under the immediate command of the ad-
miral of the navy. Constantly increasing
the navy, but 1t is yet far from what It
should be. l earnestly urge that the in
crease asked for by the secretary OF the
navy in, the appropriation for improving
the craftsmanship be granted. In battle
the only shots that count are the shots
that hit 1t is necessary to provide ample
funds for practice with the great guns In
time OF peace. These funds must provide
not only for the purchase of projectiles.
but for allowances for prizes TO encour-
age the gun crews. and especially the gun
pointers, and for perfecting an intelligent
system under which alone II is possible to
get good practice.
There should be no halt in the work Of
year additional ightins craft. We are a
very rich country, vast In extent OF terri
tory and great In population. a country,
indeed when compared with that of any
other first class power. We have deliber-
ately made our own certain foreign poll
eics which demand the possession of q,
first class navy. The isthmian canal Will
greatly increase the efficiency of our navy
" the navy is of sufficient size, but II we
have an inadequate navy then the build
ing Of the canal would be merely giving a
hostage to any power Of superior strength.
The Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American foreign
policy. but IL would be worse than idle
to assert 1t unless we intended to back II
UP, and II can be backed up only by
thoroughly good navy. A good navy Is
not a provocative of war. 1t is the surest
guaranty of peace.
Each Individual unit OF our navy should
be the most efficient of its kind as regards
found in the world. / call your special
attention to the need of providing for the
manning OF the ships Serious trouble
threatens us II we cannot do better than
we are now doing as regards securing the
services of n sufficient number of the high
est type of sailormen. of sea mechanics.
The veteran seamon of our warships are
navy which rides the waters of the world.
They are unsurpassed In daring, In reso-
luton. ip readiness, In thorough knowl-
cry consideration that can be shown them.
But there are not enough of them. 1t is
no more possible to improvise n crew than
II Is possible to improvise warship. To
build the finest ship, with the deadliest
battery, and to send It afioS with raw
crew. no matter how brave Shey were In
u
foe of average capacity were encountered.
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
when war has begun.
We need n thousand additional officers
In order to properly man the ships now
provided for and under construction. The
classes at the naval school at Annapolis
time that we thus add the officers where
we need them, we should facilitate the re-
tiremsnt of those at the head of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired.
a Dtt cf ha rad tha too.
is to be kept efficient
The lamentable scarcity Of officers and
the large number of recruits and of un-
skilled men necessarily put aboard the
new vessels as they have been commits
stoned has thrown upon our officers and
especially on the lieutenants and Junior
grades, unusual labor and fatigue and has
gravely strained their powers of endur-
ance. Nor Is there sign of any immediate
letup In this strain. 1t must continue for
some time longer until moro officers are
graduated from Annapolis and until the
recruits become trained and skillful in
their duties. In these difficulties incident
conduct of all our officers has been cred
table to the service, and the lieutenants
and junior grades In particular have dis
played an ability and a steadfast cheer
funess which entitle them to the ungrudgina
thanks OF all who realize the disheartening trials
and fatigues to which they are Of necessity sub
jected
There is not a cloud on the horizon at 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 its continuance is to provide for a
thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal to main.
tain such navy would invite trouble, and Il
trouble came would insure disaster. Fatuous self
compacency or vanity or shortsightedness in re-
fusing to prepare for danger Is both foolish and
wicked in such nation as ours and past expert.
ence has shown that such faulty in refusing to
recognize prepare for any crisis in advance is
usually succeeded by a mad panic Of hystsrical
fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
The striking increase in the revenues Of the
postofiee department shows clearly the prosperity
OF our people and the increasing activity Of the
business OF the country.
The receipts OF the postofnee department for
the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted 10
sl2l s4s o4726, increase Of sl0 2l6 s5S 81 over
the preceding year. the largest increase known in
OF this increase will best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to but $3.50
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage. II has become a fxed poliey
The results following its introduction have fully
Justified the congress in the large appropriations
made for its establishment and extension The
average yearly increase in postotice receipts in
the rural districts Of the country is about per
cent. We are now able, by actual results TO
show that where rural free delivery service has
been established to such an extent as to enable
us TO make comparisons the yearly increase ba.
been upward OF 10 per cent.
On Nov ], 1902, 1,650 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 the
establishment of l0,74S additional routes This
shows concusively the want which the establish
ment OF the service has met and the need of fur.
ther extending 1t as rapidly as possible IL /.
Justified both by the financial results and by the
practical benefits to our rural population: il
brings the men who live on the soil into close
relations with the active business world; il keeps
the farmer in daily touch with the markets. N 10
a potential educational force; il enhances the
value oil farm property, makes farm life lar
pleasanter and less isolated and will do much 10
check the undesirable current from country TO
city.
IL Is to be hoped that the congress will make
liberal appropriations for tho continuance OF The
service already established and for its further ex
tension. N' Va
Few subjects OF more importance have been
taken up by the congress in recent wears Than
the Inauguration Of the system Of nationally aided
irrigation for the arid regions OF the far west
A good beginning therein has been made Nav
that this policy of national irrigation has bsen
adopted the need Of thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than avsr
Throughout the public land states WV
Legislation should be provided for the protec.
uon OF the game and the wild creatures gener
ally on the forest reserves The senselesa siauvh
ter OF game which can by judicious protection be
permanently preserved on our national ressryes
for the people as a whole, should be stopnej AZ
once II is for instance, a serious count against
our national good sense to permit the nTesent