The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-12-05

OF our present Obsolete laws u prdclicdi
Provision should be made to enable the
secretary Of war to keep cavalry and ar
tillery horses worn out In long perform,
trihe when sold, and rather than turn
them out to the misery awaiting them
when thus disposed OF u would DC better Ter
posts ana 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
attention Is being paid to the gunnery OF
should be. l earnestly urge that the in
crease asked for by the secretary of the
navy In the appropriation for improving
the only shots that count are the shots
that hit II 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 It Is possible -
get good practice.
, There should be no halt in the work OF
year additional fighting craft We are
very rich country, vast In extent OF terri
witch has Pn
indeed when compared with that of any
other first class power. We have deliber-
cies which demand the possession Of
first class navy. The isthmian canal will
greatly increase the efficiency of our navy
II the navy is of sufficient size, but II we
have an inadequate navy then the build
ing of the canal would be merely giving
hostage to any power of superior strength
The Monroe doctrine should be treated as
the cardinal feature of American foreign
policy. but 1t would be worse than idle
to assert 1t unless we intended to back 1t
up and II can be backed up only by a
thoroughly good navy A good navy Is
not provocative of war. 1t Is the surest
guaranty of peace.
be the most efficient of its kind as regards
/ both material and personnel that Is to be
nd In to the nadd Ta
manning of the ships. Serious trouble
threatens us II we cannot do better than
we are now doing las, as regards SECURING the
est type Of sailormen, Of sea mechanics
The veteran seamen Of our warships are
navy which rides the waters Of the world
| They are unsurpassed In daring, In reso-
luton in 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 a crew than
build the finest ship. with the deadliest
battery, and to send It afioat with a raw
| crew. no matter how brave they were in
foe of average capacity were encountered.
Neither ships nor men can be improvised
| when war has begun.
We need q thousand additional officers
In order to property 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 at the head of the list
whose usefulness has become impaired
| Promotion must be fostered II the service
| 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
| grades, unusual labor and fatigue and has
| gravely strained their powers Of endur-
letup in this strain. 1t must continue for
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 the
| conduct of all our officers has been cred
| and junior grades in particular have dis
| played an ability and a steadfast cheer
tulness which entitle them to the ungrudging
thanks Of all who realize the disheartening trials
and fatigues to which they are Of necessity sub
I jected.
There is no. a cloud on the horizon at present.
| There seems not the slightest chance OF trouble
that this state Of things may continue. and the
/ u Y
| thoroughly efficient navy. The refusal to main
| tain such navy would invite trouble, and II
| trouble came would insure disaster. Fatuous sell
| complacency 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 or prepare for any crisis in advance IL
| usually succeeded by mad panic OF hysterical
fear once the crisis has actually arrived.
The striking increase in the revenues OF the
postofice department shows clearly the prosperity
| Of people and the increasing activity Of the
| business Of the country.
=, The receipts OF the postofiee department for
1921, S4s, 04726 an increase Of 6S53.S over
the preceding year, the largest increase known in
Of this increase win best appear from the fact
that the entire postal receipts for the year 1860
amounted to but Ss,5ls,o67.
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. The
| average yearly increase in postofice receipts in
the rural districts Of the country is about per
| show that where rural free delivery service has
| been established to such an extent as to enable
| US to make comparisons the yearly increase has
| been upward of 10 per cent
On Nov. l, 1902, 1850 rural free delivery
routes had been established and were in operation.
covering about one.third Of the territory Of the
| service There awaiting the action OF
the department petitions and applications for the
| establishment OF 1O,74S additional routes. Ihli
shows conclusively the want which the establish
| ment Of the service has met and the need OF fur
ther extending it as rapidly possible. 1t is
| justified both by the financial results and by the
| practical benefits to rural population; II
| brings the who live on the soil into close
J relations with the active business world it keeps
the farmer in daily touch with the markets; 1t Ii
potential educational force; 1t enhances the
value OF farm property, makes farm life fai
peasanter and less isolated. and will do much to
check the undesirable current from country &c
city.
II Is to be hoped that the congress will make
Noeral appropriations for the continuance OF the
service already established and for it's further ex
tension.
Few subjects of more Importance have beer
taken up by the congress in recent years thar
irrigation for the arid regions of the far west
A good beginning therein has been made. Now
that this policy OF national irrigation has beer
adopted the need of thorough and scientific forest
protection will grow more rapidly than evei
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 reserves. The senseless slaugh'
ter of game. which can by 1udicious protection be
permanently preserved on our national reserves
Tor the people as a whole, should be stopped at
once. Ii is, for instance, serious count against
our national good sense to permit the present
practice OF butchering of such a stately and
beautiful creature as the elk for its antlers OF
tusks.
So far as they are available for agriculture ant
to whatever extent they may be reclaimed under
the national irrigation law the remaining public
I lands should be held rigidly for the homebuilder
the settler who lives ON his land, and for no one
else. In their actual the desert land law
the timber aud stone law and the Communication
a.. l. Ioxt. ha.fo hoo,