The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-06-06
THE COMMISSIONERS OF STATISTICS,
VENTILATED AT HIS OWN REQUEST.
From the Glencoe Register.

From the Glencoe Register.
Mr.. EDITOR In an article of"Junius" iu
Won. naper Of the 26th of April, relative tc
10 inso,t;o, If the State Capitol with 9
view to encourage I'i rafarrod "o I',Up y" wa,
the resources OF the state, I Of .Ha Stat;: 81 tia
of comparison, to the expense WV
tical Bureau to the State. vim,
Mr.. Wheelock responds in the follow -
style:
DETER FROM J. A. WHEELoCK.
ST. PAUL. May lst, 1862.
Mr.. EDIroR: My attention has been
directed to the following paragraph in your
paper of April %:
''The State can pay Mr.. Wheelock So, 900
per annum for an annual pamphlet, which
thus far in cOnsequ ;nce of crude (unntention-
aD falsehoocs and absurdities has proved q
disgrace to the State.
As it is my business to tell the truth
when know it, will your correspondent be
good enough to point out the precise "false-
hoods and absurdities' to which be alludes |?
also to Indicate the particular provision of
the law under which the State is to pay me
5000 per annum, as 1 am in very much
in need Of money. j. A. WHEELoCK.
In reply to the above note, Junius''
would say that by re ference to the act of
February, 1861, section 4 provides a salary
for the Commissioner of $1,000, which if
Mr.. w. has not drawn, we are happy to
inform him that be can do so at any time /;
but by reference to executive documents of
1861, page 3l8, we see he has somehow
drawn 81 $50 salary" How he came to
draw $3.50 more than the law provides for,
we are not advised, but we presume the
Commissioner is not as green as we are, out
here west of the " big woods" We find
also allowed in the same account, /" to J..
A. Wheelock, $780," Don't know what
for, probably discount on State scrip and
for q statistical report" $40, making q
total drawn by W, OF $l,740-so says Mf.
Charles Scheffsr, State Treasurer. We
don't know any public service Mr.. Whee.
lock has rendered, during the year 1861,
except as Commissioner of Statistics"
Again, the act of Fec. 1861, Section 4
appropriates for bis use, under the very
convenient cognomen of a "Contin~
gent fund" the sum of S1,5O0 90 more.
This sum can be used for almost any pur-
pose as will appear by that section of the
act, " to defray the expenses OF distributing
and printing the Annual reports-for pos.
tage, stationery, maps, books, SCIENTIFIC
CONTRIBUTIONS, and OTHER NECESSARY ExPEN-
sEs." If"Junius only lived on the class
sic ledges and rocks in St-IPaul, such an
annual grant from the Legislature would
come most opportune. If MIR. Wheelock
has not drawn this appropriation, we beg to
inform that gentleman that he can do so at
any time when be feels leanness in the
pocket-but by a reference to the State
Auditors report (see Executive documents
1861 page 564) it will be seen that be had,
prior to Dec. 1st 1861 actually drawn
$52l 90 OF this appropriation, and we pre-
sumo, that, before this time, be has drawn
the balance. He cannot be so green as to
let 1913 08 lay in the Treasury and be all
the while be "very much in need of the
money "when every one knows the appro.
priatOn was made by an "affoctionote LIE.
gislature " for the very purpose OF relieving
the Commissioners necessities.
Again the Act of 1860 (Sec. 81 appro-
PIRATES $lOO Contingent fund" to enable
the Commissioner to communicate with
county officials, and as he has commune
Gated with most of them, we presume
be has drawn the money, each year. with
ecommendable regularity" If be has not
done so it gives US pleasure to inform the
gentleman that be can do SO at any time.
The naOney is rco0y.
Again, the Act Of 1861 (Secs. and p
provide that not more than five thousand
copies of the repoat shall be printed for the
Slate, thus securing monopoly or copy
right to the Commissioner for all books dis
posed of over that number.
Now when it is understood that FIVE
thousand copies is but mere drop in the
bucket" 10 the vast circulation which such
work is designed to secure foot one to ten
inhabitants of our own State, saying noth>
ing of foreign circulation) and also when
we take into consideration that section two
of said act only allows sale on behalf of
the State Of ONE THOUSAND copies, this mon,
o o;oly must prove very 6ue thing for the
Commissioner, that is. provided always that
the book is "all cider"
Once more Section 2 of said act requires
the Commissioner to sell 1000 copies Of his
report for purposes of revenue, the money
to be deposited 10 the State Treasury, and
as the Commissioner does not report any of
these books on hand at the close of the fis-
cal year, 1861. we presume they were all
sold, and at the price we paid for oursA50
cents-(a though we thought we came un-
der the head OF other Influential persons"
(see sec. 2, and was entitled tc copy
gratis) And as the State Treasurer does
not report any money paid into the. Treasury
from said sales, we conclude the Commis-
sioner has sold the books and pocketed the
proceeds, say 5000. If this inference is
not tairly drawn, the Commissioner can