The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-12-04

OF our present obsolete laws q practical
and efficient system should be adopted.
Provision should be made to enable the
tillery horses worn out In long perform
nnce Of duty. Such horses fetch but a
trif1e when sold. and rather than turn
when thus disposed OF 1t would be better
to employ them at light work around the
posts end when necessary to put them
painlessly to death.
mnneuvers on large scale are being held
under the immediate command Of the adj
miral OF the navy. Constantly increasing
attention is beir 2 paid to the gunnery OF
the navy. but Il Is yet far from what 1t
for by the usss na, ' n
navy In the appropriation for improving
.he only shots that count are the shots
that hit 1t Is necessary to provide ample
funds TOR practice with the great guns in
time OF peace. These funds must provide
but Tor allowances for prizes to encour-
age the gun crews, and especially the gun
pointerA and for .perfecting an intelligence
get good practice.
There should be no halt In the work of
building Up the navy. providing every
very rich country. vast in extent Of terri Z
tory and great In population. q country,
moreover which has an army diminutive
indeed when compared with that OF any
other first class power. We have delibcr-
ately made our own certain foreign poll
cies which demand the possession Of a
first class navy. The isthmian canal will
II the navy is Of sufficient size, but IL we
have an inadequate navy then the build
ing Of the canal would be merely giving q
nrGhs nos Mn to any power Of superior strength.
the cardinal feature of American foreign
policy, but 1t would be worse than idle
70 assert 1t unless we intended TO back It
up, ana II can be backed up only by
thoroughly good navy. A good navy is
not provocative OF war. It Is the surest
gqas a an 81 peace
be the most efficient of it's kind as regards
both material and personnel that is to be
FOUND In the world. call your special
attention to e, the need OF provding for the
threatens us II we cannot do bettersthan
we are now doing as regards securing the
services OF sufficient number Of the high
est type Of sailormen, OF sea mechanics
The veteran seamen OF our warships are
Of as high type as can be found in any
navy which rides the waters Of the world.
luton IN readiness. in thorough knowl-
edge OF their profession. They deserve ev-
cry consideration that can be shown them.
But there are not enough OF them. It is
1t is possible to improvise a warship TO
build the finest ship, with the deadliest
battery. and to send It af1oat with raw
dividuaily. would be to insure disaster II a
foe Of average capacity were encountered
Neither ships nor men can be improvlsed
when war has begun.
We need a thousand additional Officer
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-
tirement Of those ut the head Of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired.
Promotion must be fostered II the service
is to be kept efficient.
The lamenteble, 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 more officers are
recruits become trained and skillful in
their duties. In these difficulties incident
upon the development OF our war fleet the
conduct Of all our officers has been cred
table to the service. and the neutenants
and junior grades In particular have dis
played an ability and a steadfast cheer
thanks OF all who realize the disheartening trials
and fatigues TO which they are OF necessity SUBJ
jected.
There is not cloud on the horizon at present
There seems not the slightest chance OF trouble
with foreign power. We most earnestly hope
that this state OF things may continue, and the
way to insure its continuance is to provide for
efficient navy. The refusal to main
tain suoh q navy would invite trouble, and II
trouble came wosld insure disaster. Fatuous self
complacency or vanity or shortsightedness in
fustpS 70 prepare for danger is both foolish and
wicked in such q nation as ours and past expert
ence has shown that such faulty in refusing to
recognize or prepare for any crisis in advance is
usually succeeded by mad panic OF hysterical
fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
The striking increase in the revenues OF the
postoface department shows clearly the prosperity
OF our people and the increasing activity of the
business OF the country.
The receipts OF the postofRce department for
the fiscal year ending June 80 last amounted to
$l2l S4s. &c. an increase of slo21es5a.s7 over
the preceding year, the largeet increase known in
the history OF the postal service. The magnitude
Of this increase win best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to but $S, SIS, OCT.
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage. It has become fixed policy
The results following its introduction have fully
made fox its establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postoffice receipts in
the rural districts OF the country is about 2 per
cent We are able, by actual results, to
show that where rural free delivery service has
been established to such extent as to enable
US to make comparisons the yearly increase has
OeeA upward OF III per cent.
On Nov. !. 1902. ll,e5o 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 now awaiting the action of
the department petitions and applications for the
of l0,74S additional routes. This
shows conclusively the want which the establish
ment OF the service has met aad the need of fur
ther extending 1t as rapidly as possible. 1t Is
justified both by the financial results and by the
practical benefits to our rural population. it
brings the mon who live on the soil into close
relations with the active business world II keeps
the farmer In daily touch with the markets; it is
Z potential educational force; it. enhances the
value OF farm property, makes farm life far
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
1t Is to be hoped that the congress will make
liberal appropriations for the contipuance OF the
service already established and for its further
tension.
Few subjects Of more Importance have been
taken up by the congress in recent years 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. Now
that this >policy OF national irrigation has been
adopted the need OF thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than ever
throughout the public land states.
ton OF the game and the wild creatures gener-
ally the forest reserves. The senseess slaugh-
ter of game, which can by judicious protection be
preserved national reserves
for the people q whole. should be stopped at
once. 1t is, for instance, serious count against
our national good sense to permit the present
practice Of butchering of such stately and
beautiful creature as the elk for its antlers or
tusks.
So far as they are available for agriculture and