Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-09-26

the federal printing Office have the
effect of calling attention generally to
the magnitude of the business carried
on by this branch of the government
and the need of putting it on bust
ness basis, they will have served a
useful purpose. Like other branches
of the administration, the printing of
fee, starting as a modest enterprise,
has expanded beyond all expectation,
until 1T now constitutes a business as
great as that carried on by some of
the larger corporations. The figures
presented by w. s. Rosslter, OF the
Census Bureau, in the current num-
Der of the Atlantic show in detail this
surprising growth. In 1890 the ma
TONS printing bill was $S.1S5 Gov
eminent publications were few and
comparatively rude. Last year the
amount expended for printing was ST.
0S0,900, and this expenditure is in
creasing. If Mr.. Rossiter's estimate
is correct, the government printing
done in the present decade VIII cost
more than $6oO0O000 The need or
ulilAlN VI 81 Ndcl All OIAidN 10 bilCu ~
question. There is good ground for the
suspicion that many of the ponderous
tones turned out of the nations print
cry, to be slowed away on top shelves,
are of little service TO anyone. The
tendency to regard this branch of the
government as legitimately education
al however, seems to be growing. and
the demand for elaborate reports on all
manner of subjects, from the forests
and fisheries to insect pests and the
pedigrees of Indian tribes, seems great
er than ever.
The assembling of $4,000 veterans
in Denver at the Grand Army encamp-
ment was a bi thing in itself. Only
few live within the shadow of the
Rocky Mountains, and nine-tenths of
them had to travel long distances by
rail, steamer and stage to reach the
leading town of Colorado. Then the
wearers of the blue had a line Of
march which required nearly four
hours to cover. Only few fell out on
account of fatigue. Thousands Of
them past 40 marched with erect car
riage and firm step, to the wonder and
delight of the 100000 spectators, who
kept up a fusillade of cheers and hand
clapping as long as there was an old
soldier to applaud. Yet the internecine
conflict closed forty years %. What
other nation has anything to compare
with this soldierly longevity? What
one could turn out $4,000 to march in
hot sun-men who had quit fighting
twoscore years before? None! The
American soldier is the most robust
that ever trOd the earth When we
consider the hardships of campaign
ing from 1851 to 1860, the marvo, is
that any of it's participants are alive,
still less able to endure a long and
fatiguing march in old age. When it
comes to vigor in national defenders,
the world takes off its hat to the ire,
pressble Yankee. -yrr E r.. -
~ e. '7SSissA-- -
The pension roll reached the maxi
mum in its history on Jan. 81 last, the
number being 1,004 1856 The roll
passed the million mark in September
of last year and gradually increased
for the next four months. The decline
began with the first of last February.
and by the following May had dropped
below the million mark. These facts
are developed in synopsis of the an
nual report of Pension Commissioner
Warner, covering the operations of his
Office for the fiscal year ending June
30 last. At the end of the year the
number of pensioners had declined to
SAL, net increase for the year Of
3,679. The report shows the following
additional facts: During the year the
bureau issued 1922 pension certif-
Gates Of which number over 10000
were originals. The annual value of
the pension roll on June 30, 1905. was
$136, 49, 9j. By the term annual
value" is meant the amount OF money
required to pay the pensioners then
on the roll for one year
-
Fifty thousand applications were
fled by men and women seeking DO
sitions in the government service dur
official of the Civil Service Commits
sion the other day. These applications
were made between Jan. and June
80 of this year. OF this number about
$4,000 took the examination. AS n
rule, something like 10 per cent of
the people who file applications fail
to take the examination The idea
small chance to get into the govern
ment service through the medium of a
competitive examination is contrary to
statistics. Thirty-five per cent of the
applicants who pass the examinations
are appointed. Last year 10000 ap-
plicants appeared for examination. One
hundred thousand Of them passed and
$4,000 of these were appointed The
average age of those appointed was
% years.
Acting Postmaster General Shallen-
berger issued an order excluding from
the mails for Canada thirty-eight
monthly and weekly publications I'M
less postage is prepaid by means of
stamps at the rates for thirdclass mat
ter in the domestic mails The mag
aZines had previously been circulated
at the publishers rate of postage but
the postal administration Of Canada
has advised the department that circu-
lation at that rate would not be al
lowed to the publications if they were
printed in that dominion. Magazines
in eleven States are affected.
-
Postmasters throughout the cOun-
try must pay their debts or retire from
the public service. Worried beyond
endurance by the army of collectors
seeking the payment Of debts contract
ed by clerks in the department, the
] Postmaster General issued an order in
which he announces that the depart