Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-04

poIlcN, nut II would be worse than idle
to assert it unless We intended to back il
| up, and it can be backed up only by a
thoroughly good navy good navy is
MT provocative of war. 1t is the surest
Each individual unit of our navy should
be tne most ehcient OF it's kind as regards
both material and personnel that is to be
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 suficient number OF the high
est type Of salornen. 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
They are unsurpassed in da ring, in rcso-
. dto" 81 ts. Tsadin:: in tncroush knowl-
cry consideration that can be shown tn en-
But there are not enough of them. 1t is
no more possible to improvise a crew tina n
II Is possible to improvse warship. To
build the finest ship with the dee die
battery, and to send II ahoat with a raw
crew, no matter how brave they were In
dividuaily. would be to insure disaster IL a
zoe Of average capacity were encoun to: ed.
Neither ships nor men can be irnprovised
when war has begun.
We need a thousand additional oficers
In order to properly mar the ships now
provided for and under construction. The
classes at the naval school at Annapolis
should be gree tlY enlarged. At the same
time that we thus add the officers where
we need thsm, We should facilitate the re-
tirement Of those ct the head Of the list
Promotion must be fostered IL the service
is to be kept efficient
The lameutable scarcity Of officers and
the large number Of recruits and Of I'M
skilled men necessarily put aboard tho
now vessels as they have been commits
stoned has thrown upon our officers. and
especially on the leutenants and Junior
grades, unusual labor and fatigue and has
rravely strained their powers OF endur-
, ance. Nor is there sign Of any immediate
some time longer until more officers are
graduated from Annapolis and until the
recruits become trained and skillful in
their duties, In these difficulties incident
upon the development of our war fleet tho
conduct of all our officers has been cred
liable to the service. and the lieutenants
played an ability and a steadfast St cheer H,r
funess which entitle them 20 the ungrudging
thanks Of all who realize the di.heartenng trials
jected
There is not a 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 70 insure IT'S continuance is to provide for
an f,en w naG The refusal troS to main
trouble came would insure disaster. Fatuous self
complaoency or vanity or shortns hi sdness in
fusng TO prepare fer danger is both foolish and
wicked in such nation as ours. and past expert
enoe has shown that such faulty in refusing TO
recognize or prepare for any crisis in advance is
u
fear once the crisis has actually arrived
The striking incrcase in the revenues OF the
postoiiice department shows clearly the prosperity
OF our people and the increasing activity Of the
business Of the country.
The receipts of the postoffcc department for
ne hseai ycar ending June 30 last amounted to
VII ,Ss, 04726 increase OF sl0,2l6, ST over
the preceding year, the largest increase known in
the history OF the postal service. The magnitude
OF this increase will best appear from the fact
amounted to but 81, SIS, 067.
Rural free delivery service is no longer IN the
experimental stage 1t has become fixed policy
The results following its introduction have fully
justified the congress In the large Appropriations
made for its establishment, and extension. Tho
the rural districts OF the country is about 2 per
cent. We are now able, by actual results to
show that where rural tree delivery service has
been established 10 such an extent AS to enable
TO make comparisons the yearly increase has
been been Upward of 10 per cent ,,..
covering about one.third Of the tarritory OF the
United States available for rural free delivery
service. Their. are now awaiting the action Of
establishment Of io7s sddi,israi routes This
shows eonclukiv.y che want which the establish.
mont Of the service ha. met And the need Of fur
ther extending it as rapidly as poSibls. II 10
Justified both by the financial results aud by the
practical beneAts to our rural population; it
brings the men who live on the soil into close
relations with the active business world; it keeps
the farmer IN daily touch with the markets 1t 10
potential educational force; it enhances the
value OF farm property, makes farm life far
plehsanter and less isolated. and will do much to
check the undesirable current from country to
city.
It is to be hoped that the congress will mako
liberal appropriations for the con- inusnce Of tho
service alrea! established and for its further ex.
tension.
Few subjects Of more importance have been
taken up by the congress in recent years than
the inauguration Of tie system al nationally aided
Irrigation Tor the arid regions Of the lar west.
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
'AT.SsSlor' the pGRI LAND ,t,ls; 10, h
Non OF the game and the wild creatures gcner'
ter OF game which can by judioious protection be
preserved on our national reserve,
Tor the people whole, should be stopped at
once II is, for instance a serious count az iinst
our national good sense to permit the present
practice OF butcherng of such a stately and
beautiful creature the elk for its antlers or
tusks
So far as they are available for agriculture and
20 whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law, the remaining public
ands should be held rgdy for the homebuider,
the settler who lives on his Land and Tor 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 per.
verted from the intention with which they were
enacted as TO permit the acquisition OF large
areas OF the public domain for other than actual
snttlers and the consequent prevention OF settle