The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-12-04
CONTINUED from seventh Pagel

NNN|ANAN
ara efficient system should be adopted
Provision snould be made to enable the
ssesSeretary o. war 10 keep cavalry and r.
NHttS morse worn out I'M long perform
oncc OF duty. Such horses fetch hut q
ttlne wher sold. and rather than u.sn
when thus disposed Of "a would hc better
10 employ them at light work around -nr
poSSS and when necessary 10 put them
potniessly 20 death.
For the first time in our history no FAD
moneuNerS on larSe scale are being hcll
miral Of the navy. Constantly incressin.-
attention - being paid to the gtinnerN OF
the navy, but IL is yet FAR from what 90
should be / earnestly urge that the ir-
crease asked for by the secretary II a..
navy in tue appropriation Tor improN ing
the craftsmanship be granted. In haft.u
the only shots that count are the Shots
that nit IL is necessary TO provide af,iuI,
FUNDS Tor practice with the great guns IN
time Of peace These funds must provide
not only FOR the purchase OF projectiiss
but Tor allowances for prizes TO cncour-
pointers ana Tor perfectiug an intelligent
system under which alone IL IS possible a.
Eet good practice.
mere should be no halt in The work 81
puhoing mp the navy. providing every
year additional fghung craft Ne are a
very rich country. vast in extent OF terri
tory and great In population n ,,oi,rt-,.
moreover which has an army dirniutfire
indeed when compared with that OF amy
otner ntst class power. We have deilber-
ately made our own certain foreign unit-
cies which demand the possession II Il
greatly Increase the efficiency OF otir r,a.-,
II the navy Is Of sufficient size h-it III ~
nave an inadequate navy then the bfiild-
snS or the canal would be merely giving a
hostage 20 any power Of superior .frarr-fh
The Monroe doctrine should be treated AS
me caruinat feature OF American foreign
policy. hut IL would be worse than tf.
TO assert IL unless We intended L, hos, tf
Up, and Il can be backed up only ny .
thoroughly good navy. 4 good navy is
not provocative Of war. AZ Is the surcst
guaranty Of peace.
p I'D
be the most efficient OF its kind as re..l,-,ie
both material and personnel that is Z. Do
Leun9 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 tna
services Of a sufficient number o. ~. high
est type Of Saiiormcn. OF sea mechanics
The veteran seamen Of our warshins are
OF as high type as can be found m any
navy which rides the waters OF The world
They are unsurpassed in daring in rcso-
t.tion N readiness. In thorough knnwi-
edge Of their profession. They deserve ev-
cry consideration that can be shown them
out mere are not enough of them. II IS
no more possible 20 improviSc a crew than
u Is possible TO improViSe n warshin 10
hund the finest ship. with the deadiieSt
hatteIN. ana 70 send Il ahoat with raw
crew. no matter how brave they were IN
diVidually. would be 20 insure disaster 70 a
Zoe OF average capacity were encounterci
neither ships nor men can be improN SGD
when war has begun.
We need a thousand additional officers
provided Tor and under constructian. The
classes at the naval school at Annarnlis
should be greatly enlarged. Al The same
time that we thus add the officers where
we need them. We should facilitate the re-
urement Of those at the head OF the li~t
whose usefulness has become impaired
Promotion must be- fosfer.-i IL IN. Service
is @ be kept efficient.
The lamentable scarcity 81 officers and
the large number OF recruits and of ur-
skilled men necessarily put aboard the
new vessels as they have been commits
especially on the ucutenants and iuriar
Eradcs. unusual labor and fatigue ana ifa \
EraNeiL strained their powers OF erdur-
tuce nor Is there sign OF any Immediate
lctup In this strain Il must continue FOR
some time longer until more officers are
graduated from Annapolis and Until the
recruits become trained and skNiful In
their duties. In these difficulties Incident
upon the development Of our war fleet th.
conduct OF all our officers has been cred
liable 10 the service. and the ueutcnnrts
and junior grades in particular have dis
plaled an ability ana steldflst cheer
fulncss which entiiic them 10 tho u.u.-rtil-in.-
thanks q all who realize the di-f artcnin trisis
and tatigues TO which they are q Necessity sub
There is not a cloud on the horizon At pres.nt
There seems not the slightest chance o. trouble
with a foreign power. We most earnestly hone
that this state Of things may continue. ana he
way 20 insure its continuance j. 10 provide FOR q
thoroughly efficient navy. The rcni,ai 10 main
trouble came would insure disaster. Faiuous s.if
eoinpaccncy or vanity or shortsi gnteircss IN re-
wicked IN such nation as ours and past avusri-
ence has shown that such faiuity in refu-iu. 90
feeofni1e or prepare for any crisis in advance is
usually succeeded by a mad panic ~ hysicricai
fear once the crisis has sctualiy arrived.
The striking increaSe in the revenues Of the
poe0onlce department shows clearly the prosperity
o. our people and the increasing activity u tn.
business Of the country.
The receipts Of the postoftce department for
the fiscal year ending June 30 last arlount.d 10
III sie ofs2o, an increase Of $40 2lf $50 s. over
the preceding year. the largest increase known in
~ ~ Al
Of this increase Will best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year is61
amounted TO but ss.5iSod7.
Rural free delivery service is no longer in the
experimental stage. IL has become 4 Sxed u1lirv
The results following its introduction have fully
JuStineI the congress IN the large appropriations
made for It's establishment and extension. The
average yearly increase in postoaice receipts in
the rural districts Of the country is about ? per
cent We are now able hy actual results. 10
show that where rural free delivery service has
been established 90 such an extent a. to enable
rs % make comparisons the yearly increase has
been upward Of 10 per cent.
On Nov l. 1902, ll,e5O rural free delivery
routes had been established and were in operation
covering about one-third 81 the territory Of the
United STATES available for rural free delivery
service lhere arr no" awaiting the action Of
the department Petitions ard applications for the
establishment Of 10.Ifs additional routes. This
shows conclusively the want which the establish
nent OF the service has met and she need Of fur
ther extending il rapidly as possible. Il j.
justified both by the financial results and BY the
practical benefits 10 our rural population: IL
brings the meu who live on the soil into close
relations with the active business world; Is keeps
the farmer in daily touch with the markets: il IS
q potential educational force. IT enhances the
value Of farm property, makes farm life far
pleasanter and les isolated. and viii do much 10
check the undesirable current from country 10
city.
1t is 10 be hoped that the congress will make
liberal appropriations for the con- inmnce Of the
service already established and for its further e.
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
good beginning therein has been made Now
that this policy OF national irrigation has been
adopted the need q thorough and scientific forest
protection VIII grow rapidly than ever
throughout the public land states
Legislation should be provided for the protec-
ton OF the game and the wild creatures gener-
ally on the forest The senseless slaugh-
ter Of game. which can by judicous protection be
permanently preserved national reserves
for the people a. a whole. should be stopped at
once. IL IS. for instance, serious count against
our national good sense TO permit the present
practice Of butchering on such a stately and
beautiful creature as the elk for its antlers or
tusks
So far as they are available for agriculture and
70 whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law the remaining public
lands should be held neidly for the homehuilder
the settler who lives on his land, aud for no one
else. In their actual the desert land law.
the timber and stone law and the communication