The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-19
The Depopulator's Department Not
a Fit Place for Women to
Work In.
Loose Methods Employed in Worry
Important Work in the
Census Office.
Porter Busy With Outside Enterprises and
Land Grabbing schsmes-- Isaum
win Also HaAx On.

WASHINGTON, Nav H.-The correspondent
OF the st. Paul Pioneer Press sends that
paper the following: There is liable to be an
investigation of the census Office at an early
date, and the possibilities are that there
will be such shaking up as has not been
heard of in this administration. Many arc
the complaints made about the manage
ment of this important bureau. and as they
have been 30 numerous and 40 often made
Porter's superiors they will no doubt feel
compelled to look into the way things are
being conducted There ia mora or less
said about the Office, and II tenth part is
true there is sufficient to create a scandal OF
very large proportions.
Recently several gentlemen who had lady
friends or relatives in the Office have made
complaints, and many have gone SO far as
to have them resign. alleging that the office
is not fit place for ladies to work. Alle-
cations are made that the Offices are
crowded, ana the employees, besides, are
driven at pace that is disgrace to civili-
zation. Employees have been generally COM
planning bitterly of their treatment.
Heretofore Porter's superiors have not
interfered with his management of the
office, and he has had his own sweet way.
But it is said that no longer can they ig-
more it, and, in fact, Secretary Noble has
revoked Que of his orders already. Porter
himself has so much outside business on
hand that he cannot give all the attention
to the matter that he ought to. He
is in big land syndicate down in
junketing over that country. At pres
ent he is out on PUGET sound trying
to secure for himself and party of eastern
capitalists about 600 acres of land at Port
Gai diner with view of starting townsite
on the sound. 1t is said that this land be-
longs to the government, and that a COM
missioner has been sent out there to ap-
parise it, and is expected to report soon,
when it will be taken in by those on the in
side. and yet no one in the interior depart
ment knows anything about the commits
sion.
sus also has land speculation in hand and
| is down in the southwest territories great
deal of the time. The great statistical bu
reau is left to run itself, and goes along in
slipshod scrt of way thtlt Is distressing
| to the officials in the interior department.,
who are accustomed to have business con-
Quoted IN a business like way. An officer Who
recently went through the Office says that
the methods employed allow no test of
| accuracy, and the result of the statistics
that are being compiled depend upon the
various clerks who arc manipulating the
machines and who are liable, under the
pressure of speed to make many errors.
If the interior department. should make a
rigid investigation that is limited at, it is
possible that a great many things would
come to light that would tend to prove
what q great many people have all along
understood that as census the present
concern sailing under that name is worth
1esa Hhara iS loma 6onbt fo uhathor
the next congress will investigate the CEN
sus bureau or not. There has been some
very cunning work done in securing places
in the bureau for friends of influential
democrats in both houses, and it may be
that in case investigation was made that a
coat of whitewash could be- obtained.
If the interior department. sets out to
probe the complaints made to the bottom,
there may be some revelations. provided
that all that is found is made public.