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6 THE PRESIDENT’S VETO. The following message was sent to the House by President Cleveland last Friday afternoon, and is printed here as a matter of record: To the House of Representatives : I return herewith without approval House bill num- ber 7,977, entitled ‘‘An act making appropriations for the construction, repair and preservation of certain PAPYS ie on rivers and harbors and for other pur- poses.’ There are 417 items of appropriation contained in this bill, and every part of the country is represented in the distribution of its favors. It directly appropriates or provides for the immediate expenditure of nearly $14,000,000 for river and harbor work. ‘This sum isin addition to appropriations con- tained in another bill for similar purposes amounting to a little more than $3,000,000, which have already been favorably considered at the present session of Congress. The result is that the contemplated imme- diate expenditures for the objects mentioned amount to about $17,000,000. A more startling feature of this bill is its authoriza- tion of contracts for river and harbor work amounting to more than $62,000,000. Though the payments of these contracts are in most cases so distributed that they are to be met by future appropriations, more than $3,000,000 on their account are included in the direct ap- propriations above mentioned. Of the remainder nearly $20,000,000 will fall due during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, and amounts somewhat less in the years immediately succeeding. A few contracts of a like character, authorized under previous statutes, are still outstanding; and to meet payments on these more than $4,000,000 must be appropri- | ated in the immediate future. If, therefore, this bill becomes a law, the obligations which | will be imposed on the government, together with the appropriations made for immediate expenditure on account of rivers and harbors, will amount to about $80,000,000. Nor is this all. The bill directs numerous surveys and examinations which contemplate new work and further contracts, which portend largely in- creased expenditures and obligations. There is no ground to hope that in the face of persistent and growing demands the aggre. gate of appropriations for the smaller schemes not covered by contracts will be reduced or PEHUCHES &SON 52 Fi THE MARINE RECORD. vious executive approvals. of. similar bills, 1 am _con- vinced that the bill now undef’ consideration opens the way to insidious and increasing abuses, and it isin it- self so extravagant as to be especially unsuited to these times of depressed business and resulting disappoint- ment in government revenue. This consideration is emphasized: by the prospect that the public treasury will be confronted with other appropriations made at the present session of Congress, amounting to more than $500;000,000; Individual economy and careful ex- penditure are sterling virtues which lead to thrift and comfort. Economy and the exaction of clear justifica- tion for the appropriation of public moneys by ‘the servants of the Sab yee are not oo virtues, but may obligations. To the extent ‘that the aeronmatone contained in this bill are instigated by private interests and promote local or individual projects, their allowance cannot fail to stimulate a vicious paternalism and encourage a sentiment among our people, already too prevalent, that their attachment to our government may properly rest tupon the hope and expectation of direct and especial favors, and that the extent to which they are realized may furnish an estimate of the value of governmental care. I believe no greater danger confronts us as a na- tion than the unhappy decadence among our people of genuine and trustworthy love and affection for our goy- ernment as the embodiment of the bighest and best as- pirations of humanity and not as the giver of gifts, and because its mission is the enforcement of exact justice and equality, ard not thé allowance of unfair favoritism, : even remain stationary. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, such appropriations, to- gether with the installments on contracts which will fall due in that year can hardly be less than $30,000,000; and it may be reasonably apprehended that the prevalent tendency toward increased expenditures of this sort and the concealment which postponed payments afford for ex- travagance, will increase the burdens chargeable to this acconnt in succeeding years. In view of the obligation imposed upon me by the constitution, it seems 1o me quite clear that I only dis- charge a duty to our people when I interpose my dis- ‘approval of the legislation proposed. Many of the objects for which it appropriates public money are not related to the public welfare, and many of them are probably for the benefit of limited locali- ties, or in aid of individual interests. On the face of the bill it appears that not a few of these alleged improvements have been so improvidently planned and prosecuted that after an unwise expendi- ture of millions of dollars, new experiments for their accomplishment have been entered upon. While those entrusted with the management of public funds in the interest of all the people can hardly justify questionable expenditures for public works by pleading the opinions of engineers or others as to the practic- ability of such work, it appears that some of the projects for which appropriations are proposed in this bill have been entered upon without the approval or against the objections of the examining engineers. I learn from official sources that there are appropriations contained in the bill to pay for work which private parties have actually agreed with the government to do, in consider- ation of their occupancy of public property. Whatever items of doubtful propriety may have es- caped observation, or may have been tolerated in pre- I hope I may be permitted to suggest ata time when the issue of government ‘bonds to maintain the credit and financial standing of the country is a subject of criticism, that the contracts. provided for in this bill would create obligations of ihe United States amount- ing to $62,000,000, no less binding than its bonds for that sum. GROVER CLEVELAND. | Executive Mansion, May 29, 1896. ee AN ERROR. Subscribers who have received copies of THE MARINE REcoRD DirEcToRY of Masters and Engineers will please cut out the following and paste it over lower part of Page 11: SCHOONER. MASTER. Abbie Halverson, —— Aberdeen Coles, Frank Active Emery, J. H. Adriatic Parker, Hail .a: Albany Scott, A. B. Aldrich, Wm. Johnson, Henry Algeria Elnen, Martin Alleghany Smith, C. O. Aloha Eliott, Wm. Alta Huntoon, Horace Alverson, H.D. Wandgraf, Wm, Amboy Williams, W. R. Amsden, C. Fairweather Chas a The Northern Steamship Company has issued’a neat little pamplet containing much information about the head of the lakes and the tours of the lakes. It con- tains half-tone cuts of the steamers North West and North Land, AN ENGLISH TELL-TALE. sya A few weeks ago we illustrated aud dentea ite Mr. Frank Morrison’s tell-tale. by a description of anewly invented English tell:tale, as the Cleveland inventor has accomplished practically the same results by a much easier method, and the’ means © ‘for operating are much more simple and economical. Mr. Morrison’s tell-tale is more serviceable, also, in that it can be seen at night without difficulty. S60E. The instrument described below and herewith. illus- trated, is known as Walker’s Engine-Speed Indicator and Recorder. It has been, like the Morrison tell-tale, invented and brought out to provide what haslong been needed—a simple and ‘reliable means of indicating to the officer on the bridge the direction and speed of the main shaft; and as it conveys to him both ocular and aural demonstration, should there have been any mis- understanding in the engine-room of the order given, — he can at once take the, reqtisite steps for rectifying the error, and-so avert any impending disaster. The instrument consists of a bridge indicator, an. engine- room contact maker, and a set of, battery cells in case. The bridge indicator,.as.shown in the. illustration, is mounted on a brass pillar stand, similar to the ordinary telegraph. The dial is fitted with two main pointers, one for ahead and one for astern. These . respectively beat for every revolution of the engine, and at the same time push the small shutter ‘‘ahead’’ or “astern” into its place in one of the small openings in the dial. Two bells, of a deep and shrill tone respectively, are also fitted inside the dial head, indicating by sound the movement of the engine. A‘switch is fitted to each of © these bells, enabling it to be turned off ihn not required, A main switch is also provided on the © front of the stand, by which the indicator can be entirely shut off when not wanted. The dial is also fitted with six recording indices, three on each side, to record the total number of revolutions ahead or astern made by the — “engine in carrying out the evolutions ‘re- quired. These can be readily set back to zero if required. The engine-room contact insiseanear is of very simple construction and arrangement, fitted with a pulley wheel proportioned to. the cut pulley fixed on the main shaft, from which itis driven by a band or strap. This rotates by means of the gearing shown, a spindle car- rying a two part commutator haying brushes so arranged that each rotation: of the shaft ahead or astern transmits an electrical im- pulse through its respective brush to the cor- responding needle and bell of the bridge in- dicator. A. metal-lined casing covers the en- gine-room contact instrument, and efectnally a protects it from all dirt and injury. The battery is an ordinary Leclanche one of 12 or more cells, enclosed in a suitable case, and is — kept in working order. -'The advantages of this new instrument will be evi- dent to and appreciated by every navigating officer in, charge of a steamship when working ship in ks: quarters. * nn INLAND LLOYD’S SUPPLEMENT. The Inland Lloyd’s supplement for June was issued last Saturday by Capt. Daniel McLeod, manager, It contains the new enrollment of the steamers City of Buffalo, Al, $250,000; Bloomer Girl, Al, $12,000; Edna G, A1, $35,000; Governor Morton, A1%, $5,000, built by the Marine Iron Works, Chicago, in 1892, for the City of Buffalo; George N, Orr, Al, $200,000; schooners Ar- menia, A1*, $85,000; Connelly Bros., Al*, $40,000; George KE. Hartnell, Al, $125,000; barges Mikado, B1, $10,000; and Tycoon, B1, $10,000, the two last named being the lighters built by James Davidson, Bay City, for his own use. In addition to these the supplement contains about sixty postponed classifications and valuations. Among these is the schooner Sunrise, which was lost May 21, her valuation and rating haying been raised during the early part of the month from B1, $5,000, to A1%, $6,000. -s o-oo — The United States Deep Waterways Commission is preparing tables, for as many years back as possible, showing the data of the’ closing of the différent veo in the United States and Canada. His device will not™ suffer a