St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-10
The Oil Inspector, Has His
Mask Removed by the
House.
An Annual Income OF Eight
cen Thousand Dollars TO
Fatten Upon.
Mr.. Haven Presses the Men,
bers to Listen to the Peo-
pies Voice.
The Country Press and Capt.
Castle Insulted by the In
speetor's Champion.

liidt - NiiCiC " DCSlE,
TWO weeks ago. on the floor of the
house, Representative freeman p
Lane uttered these words. Yesterday
he eXerted every power that he posses
SeS to prevent any reduction in the i'll
come OF the state oil inspector, or the
reyersion of his fees to the state treas
uFy. This was q test fer practical
honest economist.
The debate on the Oil inspection bill
was made all the more peculiar by the
fact that the attempted reform was OPP
posed by one Democrat alSO-Mr. Ives.
On the side of MIR. haven and the friends
of a correct reform in this department
the measure was championed as source
Of revenue for the state treasury, and
as destroying the unjust em0uments of
an office used at the present time as a
reward for political services. The OPP
ponentS of this reform contented them
selves with an unjust ana unwarranted
attack upon Capt. Henry A. Castle, mis-
representing statements: an attack
upon the country press, who have de-
mandcd this reform, and q wild howl
that if the fees were taken from the
poor, pOverty-strickcn oil inspector the
state wOHld be Mortified with oil eX-
ploSionS and thousand other horrors.
No valid nor rational argument was
brought TO show to the house why the
Office should not be made q Salaried.
With every other Office in the state
having fees attached TO it turning them
regularly into the state treasury, no
reason was presented why the Oil in
spector should not act the same way.
1t is curious thing to watch the
house in this matter of the reform of the
oil inspectors office. The people Of the
state are demanding the reform.
A CASE OF RELATIONS.
Opposed to it are the oil inspector.
his deputies, their relations, member
of the house who has Il relative acting
as deputy, and it is Said-said IN the
houSc-that the power that sits en-
throned in the governors office is per-
S0naily interesting itself on behalf of
the present Inspector and against any
reform. Tie argument alleged to
emanate from that source represents
the necessity of leWarding political
servant. with an annual income greater
than that received by the governor him
self.
Whether the house will consent to be
so duped or not, is yet question. Mr..
EaStman'S amendment to the Lane bill
has merit0rlouS features, but still re-
tains the obnoxious fee system. The
bill is still on general orders, and will
be finally acted on this week. There
are good many members who think -
per cent of the fees (if the fee system
is to be Ietainedl, should 60 into the
state treasury, and but % per cent to
the inspector, which would give him a
handsome income as ii is.
The politicians are fighting any
change in the Office and, perhaps, for
the reason that Mr.. Kreis assumes
''theTe is divyy somewhere in it,"
1 The country members and those who do
not stand near tO the governor are ready
to support any honest, reform bill.
The debate yesterday was in commit
tee of the whole and on the Haven bill
which makes the Office a salaried one,
and the Lane bill which would leave il
practically unchanged from what it is
. row.
ENORMOUS FEES.
Senator Haven moved that his bill be
recommended to pass when the commit
tee rose, and in doing so said:
Il had hoped to have thc senate bill
on this subject substituted for mine, as
there is but little difference between
them. 1T has long been known by the
people that the oil inspectors fees have
= grown from small to enormous proper
tons. Every attempt to reform this af-
fair has been met with methods not
, honest to defeat it. Opposition of the
most disreputable nature has been de-
yeioped to check the efforts of the PEG
pie to remedy this fraud-a gross out
rage upon them. This bill which |
have introduced has been fought per-
SiStently by dishonest opponents, who,
knowing the weakness Of their cause.
p have not dared to have the question dis
: cusSed on this floor until forced to.
What proportions the oil inspectors in
come has grown to since 1881 can show
you by these figures:
ISSI-Barrels l3, PISS: gallons . 1Gf 400.
SS.657.6O.
1882 Barrels, 5s.947: gallons, 2,947. $50:
S11.TS9.4O.
lss4-B@rrels, 1862; gallons, 1862, $50;
Sl1511. 90.
1ss5-Barrels, sl,sl2; gallons, 5, 755, $50;
Sl62S0
1ss6-Barrels, 97.796: S19571o0
1SST-Barrels, 9S, 489; Sl9,73l
1SSS-Barrels, 127, 951; S25. 5000.
That IS, his income has trebled in
seven years. Above his expenses in
1888 the oil Inspector cleared S1S,0O0-a
fact vOuched for by men of high stand
ing. From Hennepin county alone he
collected SS,2l7; from Ramsey, s7,2S4 !:
and from st. Louis, 81, $50. out of which
by the measure | favor $4,000 could
have been paid into the state treasury,
and the balance amply compensated the
inspector for all of his trouble and ex-
penSe. Can this legislature overlook
this matter and still do their duty to
the people who sent them here?
1t has been stated that he did not draw
q all of this salary, dividing part of it
with the oil companies. l do not know
how this is. do know that he has at
: times allowed the oil companies to do
the work. That he had paid them for
it'll did not know. / do not question the
abilities of the gentleman N.ane) oppoS-
ing this bill, but | think that he some
times fOrgetS that he is pleading the
cause of client and not that of the
whole state. My bill is constitutional
tor L have submitted it to the best
lawyers OF the state and to the attorney
general who have given me their opin-
ion that it is correct and legal.
Il do not believe that the fees of the
office should be cut down, preferring
that they should remain as they are,
only diverting them into the state treas
ury and not to private pocket. If the
members Of this house see their duty
clearly this reform will be accom-
plished.'
Mr.. Haven then amended his bill 50
that that 1t should conform to the senate
bill. making the Inspectors salary 81
400 and reyerting the fees TO the state
treasury.
GALL.
Representative Lane-I strenously ob.
feet TO these amendments being tackled
on at this time. The proper course is to
have the senate file substituted for this
bill. The gentleman has the supreme
gall 10 come forward and say that the
methods used 10 defeat this bill have
been dishonest. The objection to Mr..
Hgv4u7e hill is that ii nrOvideS no Svs-