Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-27
nLw Yoak euaeAu % etro1IoNs.
The Departments That Has u Good Deal
To Attend to Ahout Electfou Time.

The Department That Has u Good Deal
to Attend to About Election Time.
General Theodore +. Rodenbough,
chief Of the bureau of elections at po-
lice headquarters, may be said to run
1t single handed, and with his left hand
at that. He left his right arm with
army surgeons in September, 1864, at
Winchester The bureau was estab-
kshed in the police department in 1872.
d. b. Hasbrouck was the first chief,
John J. O'Brien the second and he
was succeeded by the present incun-
bent While the work of the bureau
| has increased, its clerical force yet con-
sists of FIVE patrolmen detailed to cler-
lcal duty at patrolmen's salaries. Po-
liceman Henry Hildenbrand, of the
central Office squad. supplies the right
hand that the amiable chief lacks
The bureau takes charge of the ma
chinery and personnel of elections,
from the hiring of district quarters TO
the swearing i'm of the election officers.
Dreary routine characterizes the labors
of the chief and the clerks from Janu-
AIRY to August, and It is volcanically
active the rest of the year. When these
eruptive periods are on, no one in the
bureau has a sinecure.
Among the labors and duties of the
bureau are To provide all the station
cry for the election officers-inspectors,
poll clerks and ballot clerks; to give
them the special and ordinary instruc-
tions to enable them to steer clear of
trouble and to perform their duties sat
isfactorily; to prepare the lists of cleo
ton officers for the action of the board
of police, examining into the personal
fitness and character Of each individ-
ual; to provide certificates for those
who are selected and to qualify"
them or swear them into Office; to
ascertain on days of registry and
election If all the election officers are
present at each polling or registration
place, and to see that all vacancies are
promptly filled; to receipt for all re-
ports, registers and returns filed after
the registration is completed; to pre-
pare leases for polling places; to see,
after election, that all registers and re-
turns have been filled up in accordance
with the law; to summon those who
have erred to correct their mistakes; to
stamp the certificates of such election
officers which have done their duty and
are therefore exempt from jury duty
TO record the deaths of all male persons
over twenty-one; to keep record of
convictions for felony, and to aid in
tabulating the election returns on cleo
tion night. The last named employ
ment is more of courtesy to the de-
sire of the public and the police com.
uissioners to know the results than a
duty No count thus made has any
legal or official weight or value.
The bureau has also to be prepared
to make diagrams of the city for cleo
ton purposes, and to scrutinize the
registry from each house so as to be
prepared to furnish information for re-
districting in order to keep the voters In
each election district down to the limit
prescribed by law. The pay rolls Of
the election officers have to be prepared
ior the comptroller.
An idea of what the bureau has to
do when 1t is busy with live election
work may be had from the statistics of its
operation under the ballot reform law.
In 1890 there were 1856 election off,
GERS who did duty, and about 500 per
sons chosen to such offices resigned.
AS each officer Is named ten times on
reports and in other ways, some 80, 900
names were written on this account
alone.
There were $1,000, 900 ballots pre-
pared, corrected, received, checked of,
done up into 947 packages and dis
tributed, and at least 10000 packages
of stationery, ink, pens, mucilage,
books and forms. Oaths were admin
lstered to more than 5000 election Of
ficers, "a per cent. of whom served, and
the characters and qualifications Of
1917 persons were inquired into and
reported on. New York Times.