The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-10-05

given as 332, $40, = differences Of fifty
thousand bushels.
There are several more blundsrs on
this page which we pass. 80 Of page
1856. We come next to q series 81 i'm
portant ta6lss, giving the average
yield OF wheat per acre, by counties
and districts, for four years from 1871
to 1874, inclusive. These tables also
show q general average for each dis
trict. Nov the general average for
lSTl-72 and l73 are copied from the
reports Of previous Secretaries, ard
are correct, while those for 1874, COM
puted by the present Secretary, are
every one iUrORg. The total averages
OF wheat and corn given on page $40
are bath wrong.
per acre In Franklin county is given
as 1900, and should be 40 81
] The general fOotings Of acres aud
bushels of earn produced ia the State,
/ in 1874, given .iu page 342, are both
wrong. 81 uf the general averages
/ following on pages 342, 343, 344 anu
345, every one OF which Is errOnsoas.
On page 346 the average per acre Of
oats is given as 200 bushels, and
should he % II. The report states
| that this average "is less than for
seventeen years." which Is q mistake,
for the average in 1868, eleven years
previous, was but ~ bushels I; mIs-
I take Of six years.
Ou page 347, the average per acr- OF
harley Is given as 1865 should be
300, very important difference.
! On The same page the Increase of
average OF barley is given as j. 10 BUSH
els should be 7.45 bushels, another
very serious difference.
On page 349 the decrease in the rye
crop. as compared with 1873, Is given
as 4. 1872; should be 1852, q difference Of
900 acres. There are several nther
mistakes on this page which We pass
On page $50 the blundsr In the aver
age of rye for 1874 is repeated-given
as 9.94, should be 10 43.
On page 352 the increase In the acre
age Of potatoes for 1874 over 1873 Is
given as 27,7l2 should be 29. .7l2, Mis-
take of 1000 acres. The quantity of pO-
tatOes produced Ia the State during
the year 1874 is given on the same
page as Z, ,3S4, ,907 should be J, ,34S, ,9O7,
a mistake of &c 900 bushels.
On page 354 the average acreage of
rye for five years is given as 293. .3l5
should be %, sis, 3 mistake OF 2GS 800
acres. TIE total Of the average acre
a 90 of rye for five years is given Is
!, gil ,6iG shnuld hs 8, ,34G, ,S5i, 3 mis-
take OF 264, ,SO2 There are other
blunders on this page which We pass.
On page 1854, the total production OF
butter in the State from 1870 to 1874,
inclusive, Is given as 37,6I3. .B39
pounds should be A, 259. .459. The
total OF cheesS-Is given ~ g, ,98l 800
should bs 3S, ,594, ,293.
Coming to the social and vital sta
tlstics we find that the tables are upon
their face, SO erroneous as to be przc-
ticaIly worthless. In the table OF suits
for divorce, for Instance, on page 523,
the number of cases pending and the
number decided within the year ought
to equal the total number for the year,
but do not in any case. The totals in
the tables of criminal prosecutions are
also nearly all wrong, In many eases
more crimes being stated as disp0sed
Of than the total number reported.
In what Is said above u0 account
has been taken OF any hut strictly |
mathematical blundsrs, but what |
shall be said of such grammatical dis |
tOrtiOn as thi on page 36G
In 1878 there were five counties pro-
duced over one hundred Thousand |
pounds.
Or this, on page 354: |
The number of acres of potatoes In |
all the States and Territories in 1873,
acres, ,295, l39; bushels, lO6 ,0S9, 900. /
In 1874, acres, 1,3l0.04l ; bushels, los,
9Sl 900, and very nearly the same
of bushels.
Now a fen mistakes ara possibly
pArdOnable in any statistical report,
but what shall be SAID OF one In which
they stand out on page after page like
quills on the back of the fretted pOr-
cupine And what shall Ds said
OF the statistlciAn whom the
State largely pays for his labor,
and yet does not seem to under
stand the simple rules of Rddi-
ton and subtraction
The reader will also please notice
another thing. The friends of Mr..
Bell have circulated several falsshOods
in regard to Colonel Barnes which
have been proved to be such beyond
question But granting
all that has been said IN Colonel
Bsrnes's detriment to be true, 1t yet
does not effect in the least degree his
capacity to discharge the duties OF
Secretary OF State. But the N alters
TO in the foregoing para
graphs are not mere rumOrs. They
are matters OF mathematical cnmpu-
tation which every reader may verify
slsgnEnrrn F,n hfraunlf Thnr
also matters which affect the question
Of official fitness. The question
Colonel Barnes presented or
signed certain petitions to tho L9giE-
lsture, OT whether Mr.. Bell can play Il
to perfection on the
street corners, is as nothing to the
the absolute necessity of
having an accurats compilation of
OhiO's statistics. The one class OF
questions Is merely personal, chiefly
two individuals T; the 9TH
sr class Is public, aud Of vital concern
10 the whole people Of the State. The
taxpayers who bear the expense Of
The Seeretary's reports, and who pay
literally for having correct ones, are
sntitIed to receive what they pay for,
md anything less than that Is fraud
md sWindle, Not only so, it Is q
lisgrace and positive injury. The
therefore, OF electln9 q
nan who is temperate and sober, who
keeps his brain clear and attends dill
gently to his duties in this important
Iffice, is apparent, and as, in effect,
colonel Barnes Is chiefly blamed be-
,ause lie Is possessed of these qualities
Intelligent voters will see that the
ault that Is found with him Is really
Ine OF the highest compliments that
.nnlh he Maid Linn