The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-08
4xANTIsM IN THE WEST.
TswnshIp- Laid Out at One Hundred aud
twenty-five Dollars "a Day.

dtfife INTO the practical workings OF the various
branches Of the Government under the Admins
tration of Grant, the more thoroughly do we
ma corruption and dishonesty permeatiug
every department in all sections OF the country.
The fruits OF Grentism aud Belknapilm are
everywhere visible The exposure Of 50 many
examples Of unbiusbinz and bare faced roeuery
In Offices OF trust and profit Is sickening, and
makes every true American hang his head In
shame bu. 1t is only by exposing these evils to
public gaze that we can have any hope OF eradi-
eating them, and II should be done remorse-
lersly.
Among the many devices that. through ways
that ere dark and tricks that are IN vain. are
prsotised TO plumber the cash boz OF Uncle
Samuel. is one upon which little light has been
thrown In the case OF Silas Reed. Surveyor
General OF Wyoming. in the matter OF the
"divyp" OF John Delano In the proceeds OF con-
tracts for the public surveys. This, however, Is
sm6uus Of barefSced stealing which goes on
with annual regularity I'm most OF the States and
Territories in which surveys Of public lands are
Of making large annual appropriations for
these land surveys, especially 10 the Ter
propriatons, OUTSIDE Of the Indian Department.
pf which q less proportion Is actually expended
Tor the work for which tiey are intended. 1
Surveyor q enerals Office IN the Territories In
which contracts arc not bought and sold In
manner that 10 perfectly Delknappy. I Will ven
ture further to state that there u hardly single
United States deputy surveyor, who has mad
contract In the Territories during the past Ave
years, who, II examined under oath. can truth
full, testify TINT he has had any Government
has not been compelled to psy from 70 TO 40 per
cent. OF the receipts either to the surveyorG sn-
eral, who let the contract, directly, or to some
that u was for the Surveyor-General. The ex-
PLANTATION Of this lies In the fact That the maxi
mum prices allowed by law for surveying are so
exoruitant that a contract taken at those
figures " about four-hfths clear prOnt, and al
though the Surveyors-G eneral arc empowered to
contruct at lower rates, IL Is never done.
For example. the average price paid per mile
for surveys In the different Territories Is $40 per
mile for section lines, sic for township lines,
aud SIS for meridiuns aud parallels. A party of
SIX men, costing, all told, not to exceed 80 per
day, and oftener not more than SO, Will manage
to survey not less thsn ten miles day, when
the country Ia not mountainous, which amount
to from sl00 TO sl2O at the contract price. No
distinction Is made between mountain ana
prairie work, except ia a few rare instances.
ind Of the appropriations made for public sur
veys, by Tar the greater portion Is expended az. "a
that for an outlay OF $25, at the most profit Of
SIS at least IL made per day, aud IL would be alb
IRE allowed TO have the whole Of It. The con:
tracts for this work are almost invariably fsrmed
out TO a few individuals. nine-tenths Of VIII ON,
as well as most of the Surveyors-G enerai them
selves, know nothing whatever OF surveying. In
MANY Instances these so-caIled surveyors are
veyor General, and ara usually imported from
the States for the purpose OF sienine contracts
and practising Addition. Division, and Sill noe.
The contracts ore let In amounts 81 from
5000 to 5000 to these irresponsible adventure
| ers, who know nothing more Of surveying thun
Digger Inuian knows about tins dinerentiai
calculus. Generally they are compelled to en-
| ploy a surveyor 10 do the work Tor them az a
salary, except IN Instances, which are not rare,
| where no survey Il actually made, but the Ia
| notes are made up IN the Office, aud, after being
duly sworn to, are paid fog in tul less the SIr-
| 4. T.,
| In Colorado alone, thus reported ana mapped as
being surveyed, have never been surveyed AZ nll.
| armed with pocket compass ana shovel, the
| distances oeing measured by pacing, and the
| earth, thrown up to be blown away 10y the first
| wind. l do not hesitate TO assert that
% , en- soc township Sps esn be- FOUND where
| the work has been done, and the. corner:
established according TO either the letter OF
| spirit Of the law. On account VI the weil-knowI
| fact that blackmnil his 10 be paid to secure
contract, resp onsicls engineers, who value tneil
1 standing, Will not touch a contract, although q
| the work was offered to the lowest responsible
| bidder, as the l-w intends, responsible ana eau
| Gated surveyors would take the work az les
| th.n une-tnird the price now paid, whereby al
| immense saviCR would be made to the Govern
| mont each year. lac fact Is that the whole sys
| OF corruption aud jobbery to enrica the survey
ors-General anu their favortes, although II /
| limited by some that the former have also Il
divide profits WITH the oihciais who secure thei
| appoint ents.
| 4 learn that the frauds IN the new mexico
| Survey nc enerais ONCE are equally bold sn
| bare Laced, being carried on witnout mucn at
tempt at conceriment as one OF the hranches q
the greater Ting which plumbers the Govern
| ment and the Territory witt science aud sys
ten rareH seen elsewhere. One regular and IN
| varianle contractor. who gets Zoe latest JO3s,
| cashier OF T. ikinss Bank, and he hires broken
| down Old surveloTt to do tue worA. while lac draw
| kind OF trouble in tnnt Office Of late, howe 5e
ana exposures nave been Threatened. Ine np
prihtmeht Of u ne" surveyor HeheiaI has prol
| abl, hushCd them up
Tue law ATTEMPTS II furnish a check upon th
frauds aoOte Gesci lOed D. qduins boGds TO to
given uy tue deputies for thc f4itntui perform
ance If the work, ana ty prOvlGing III 1 iaspe.
tors may Oe sent 10 see that the wor,I Is proqerl
| cone. ne bonds. however, are inNaridUly mvT
| shAms. the securities being unknown and isrt
| spUnsI. le persons, as often as any tue cierns
the Once, unu the INSPECTORS are never sent.
| the DeuUctatic House Of lie, resru.LiiyC, wis
TO unearth a syst IN of fraud which will start
t.e whole country, they have only 10 send Il
investigating committee To Colorado or Ne
exec, TO examine "A lew vi toe surveys mad
ululng the past lev wears, selecting the town
sLiIs at random. Let item eX mine the Coz
tracts, anu see VINO are tue oVnustncn VINO Nav
Nouohed for The wo.s, and then let tuo sever
, deputy surveyors be called on to testify unde
OATH ~ to now much blacknail they have la
10 pay IN order 10 gst tho cOAtrAc :, aud
packets the greater part Of the appropriation
los these surveys nnally lind tueir way.
lhe remedy for tins evil lies In 80 amendn
the lAW tuat the surveyor General shall DC con
PEELED % let the work ~ the lowest bidder, II
stead OF leaving IL 10 ais discretion 10 pay ,uaA
mann prices. Such an amendment wuull sa'
p $4,000 Der annum - the pubic Treasury.
! woul ne well aisI to provide tnat tue rcspone
n,e Dnicc of SuryeyOr-General should be nlled |
compel M sdlNc, urs, vino might Do uoIc
j4d.c 81 the cuagaCter Of tue WORK done. iusi o.
Acks, whose Ony IecOmin cud zion Is that tue
nave aidt IN tue eiectiu OF some senator, ltei