Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1884 — WASHINGTON. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON.

Synopsis of the Annual Reports of Some of the Government Bureaus. RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE. Abstract of the Report of Superintendent Thompson. W. B. Thompson, General Superintendent of the Railway Mail Service, has submitted his annual report. It appears that on June 30, 1884, there were 117,160 miles of railroad upon whioh mails were carried, as compared with 78 miles in 1834. During the last fiscal year the iucrease was 6,952 miles. The number of railway postoffice lines in operation June 30, 1884, was 845. The annual miles of service is 92,640,099. The iucrease in number of pieces of mail matter handled during tne fiscal year was 558,144,220 pieces. The percentage of increase over 1883 was 13.52. The percentage of increase in the number of pieces of registered matter handled was 4.93. The increase in the past year of railroad postofflce service, including new service placed upon old lines, was 7,641 miles. The number of casualties during the year was 154, in whioh 7 postal clerks were killed, 28 seriously and 60 slightly injured. Recommendation is made that the Postmaster General be authorized to pay to the widow or minor children of all clerks killed in the service a sum equal to one year’s salary of the grade to wnich the clerk belonged at the time of his death. The appropriation for the service the present fiscal year is $4,300,000. It is estimated that this should be increased $301,000 for the next fiscal year, which would make the appropriation $4,601,000. This is an increase of 7 per cent. An additional appropriation of $81,300 is recommended for the purpose of increasing the salaries of olerks of classes five and four to $1,400 and $1,200 per annum respectively. The appropriation for postal-cars the present fiscal year is sl,625,000. Recommendation is made that the appropriation for the next fiscal year, be $1,875,000. This will include an amount for subsidised roads, which has not heretofore been included in the estimate for this branch of the servioe. During the year the fast-mail service has been greatly improved without increase in oost to the department. It seems probable that the Postmaster General will soon be able to have the fast mail arrive in Omaha much earlier than it now does, and have a special carrier delivery in that city and at Council Bluffs immediately on arrival and before the close of business of the day. It is also hoped that mails can be expedited so as to arrive in San Francisoo about 7 a. m., instead of 11:10 a. m. as at present. The city mail oan be delivered immediately upon arrival, in time to get replies for the eastbound mail the same day, which will be equal to saving one day between New York and San Francisco. Separation for city delivery in San Franoisco is now made on the cars.

EDUCATIONAL.

Some Facts and Figures from the Report of the Bureau of Education. A volume just issued by the Secretary of the Interior oontains some interesting facts and figures furnished by the Bureau of Education. The length of the school term varies greatly, ranging from 199 days in Maryland to sixty-two days in North Carolina. The term is more than five months in three of the six New England States, in five of the six middle Atlantio States, in three of the nine Northern Central States, in one of the two Pacific-slope States, and in the District of Columbia and Idaho Territory, and it is above three months in all the States of the sections named. On the other hand the school term is less than three monthe in all the South Atlantio, in two of the four Gulf States, in one of the six Southern Central States, and does not equal four months in any State of the two last-named sections. The report shows an increase of 4,135 teachers over last year. The proportion of female teachers is greater than that of the last report. Eyen in the frontier States the proportion of women teaching is rapidly increasing. There is also an upward movement in teachers’ salaries. The summary shows an income of $94,327,188 and an expenditure of $91,158,039, against $88,142,088 income and $85,111,442 expenditure for the previous year. Illinois shows an increase of 35,345 in youth of school age; of 18,034 in enrollment in public schools; of 15,936 in all public schools? of 26,267 in average daily attendance. There was also an increase of 29 in high schools, and of 38 in the number of school buildings erected during the year. There was a decrease of 2,098 in attendance in ungraded schools, of 22 in public schoolhouses, and of 270 in 1880 and 1881. Institutes were attended by ' 395 more teachers, while 9 more counties held such institutes. The compensation of County Superintendents was slowly increasing, yet much was left to be desired, as the poor pay secured only an inferior class of work. Income for publio schools increased $212,430, and expenditures $201,234. ■

THE NAVY.

Admiral Porter a Recommendations. Admiral Porter, in his annnal report, says that a comparison, of expenditures in foreign navies with our own will go far to put a stop to the cry that wasteful extravagance has been shown in the administration of its financial affairs, and will show the necessity of our doing something toward building a navy if we want to keep pace with the spirit of the age and hold ourselves ready to maintain the respect of foreign nations. Admiral Porter submits what he thinks the Government ought to do in the next two years: 1. Complete the unfinished monitors and arm them with heavy rifled guns, making them rams as far as the models will permit. 2. Appropriate money for all vessels that were proposed to Congress last winter. 3. Build as a commencement four of the heaviest monitors, of great endurance and speed, each to carry four six-inch rifles in turrets. 4. Build twenty torpedo boats not less than 100 tons each, with a speed of twenty knots. 5. One cruising ironclad of not less than 4,000 tons. 6. Have all our ships over 1,250 tons supplied with torpedo boats, fitted with noiseless condensing engines, so they can not be heard when approaching the enemy.