The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-10
THE UTAH COMMISSION.

The uselessness of that costly board, the
Utah commission, is again being empha-
sized. Its uselessness has been apparent
from the very first, every day and every
hour, but there are times when the worth
lessness of the board becomes more appar
emit than usual. These are occasions when
there is anything to do, and the high priced
gentlemen of leisure are not here 10 do it.
1t almost invariably happens that when
there is something calling for the presence
of the commits sioner5 they are not within the
borders of the territory, but are at their
homes in distant parts of the union, living
fatty off the five thousand dollars a year
which government pays each for doing
nothing.
Just now we are in canvass preceding
the most important election ev er held in
the territory. Every day matters arise
which require the attention of the COM
mission matters which cannot be adjusted
except by that bolri; bat tn con-
missioners are not here, have not been for
months, and do not expect to come for
months. There is nobody in the territory
who can act for them: there is no authority
which can represent them.
Here are the city registrar and the depu-
ties, the latter engaged in making the
house to house visits for the biennial mu-
nicipal registration. The deputies, being
all members of one political party,
and very earnest members at that,
are doing all in their power
to further the interests CT that party at the
coming election, and all in their power to
hamper and annoy the othsr party. If it is
possible for the registrars to avoid regis
ter.ng members of the Peoples party and
escape prosecution for violation of the law
they will do it, while they viii at the same
time put themselves out aud work early
and late to get all the names of the Liberals
on the list. The chief registration officer
is figure head, powerless to act even if he
were disposed to be fair and just, of which
nobody ever dreamed of accusing him.
The deputies can be guilty of the most ir-
regular and outrageous conduct and defy
the chief who is so insignificant a person
that he did not even have the privilege
of nominating the deputies, much
less that of appointing them. The
registrars received their appointments
HUN bLlS COAlullSSIOll1 anu Ol1y ILlC GULL
mission can remove them, or compel them
to be fair and reasonable in the perform
ance of their duties.
1t is understood that the board will meet
in Salt Lake some time next year, when
the members think that trip west will
not be unpleasant, but that will be too late
to prevent the wrong now being done. 1t
is not known that the commission is not in
favor of the wrong, and does not encourage
it, but all who think there should be some
regard for fairness will concede that the
board ought to be where it could act if it
were disposed to.
TIE HERALD suggests that the authorities
at Washington be communicated with, and
the fact set forth with the view to in
ducing the issuing of instructions to the
Utah commission to come here and do
something for the extravagant salary it
draws. 1t may be that the secretary of the
interior and the President are powerless
to command, but it is possible they can
coax the commissioners to leave their
homes long enough to come out at the time
whenFtheir presence is really desirable and
actually necessary.