The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-23
THE WORTHLESS CENSUS.
Scandalous Wastefu lness of the De-
partment Under the Control
Of Porter.
Seven Million Dollars Already
Sunk and the Results Ut
terly Useless.

How tho Corruptionists Hope to Avoid an
Investigation-Tho Worst Scandal
of Late Yenrs
WASHINGTON, July 22.-Thc Washington
correspondent of the Pioneer Press sends
that paper the following: There will be
music in the air il the democratic house
makes thorough and public Investigation
Of the census office. There is any quantity
Of amoldering material which will burn
brightly as soon as the light and air il
turned on. There ia some danger, however,
of even democratic whtewnsh. and one
of the democratio employees of the Office
has discovered system which is already
being worked to keep the rottenness of the
Office from ever reaching the public eye.
The assistant chief clerk is democrat,
and has firm grip upon the machinery of
the Office. besides being the brains of the
chief clerks Office. The many dismissals
that have lately been made will be worked
to advantage in fixing the demo-
cratic congressman. Already it ia said
that German and Cockerel in the senate
have been fixed, and when the democrats
of the house begin to arrive and there is a
threatened investigation they will be asked
il they have not some friend whom they
would like to put i'll to good position, and
from the many vacancies Porter has made
he will have room for them. Another
thing, the more employees that are put in
the larger appropriation will be needed,
and if the democrats want to get their
friends in and keep them in they will have
to come down with the appropriation.
There is a possibility that Porter may by
this scheme not only be able to stave off an
investigation that is imminent, but also to
secure money enough to continue grinding
out his worthless statistics.
Seven million dollars have been sunk in
this census which is everywhere thought to
be worse than useless. A vast army Of clerks
we're employed for the past two years at
extrayagant salaries, ranging from $4,000
to $500 yearly, and some at $720. Since the
dismissals began it is found that large
number of these employees instead of being
dismissed have offered to perform the same
work for two-thirds and even half of the
salary they have received heretofore, and
many of them have been retained at the re-
duced salary and continue to work us har
for the government as when they receive d
the larger stipend. If when Mr.. Porter was
selecting his clerks he could hnve secu ed
good clerks at $1,000 and paid $1,000 and
good clerks at 5000 and $3.50 he paid $500
nd 81 400 for them he has not exercised
that care of the public funds that public
official entrusted with large sums of money
to expend should exercise. If clerks will
work for third less money now than they
cepted the same terms then. No, Porter
was not large enough for such an important
place.
Here is story that the informant says
he can prove if it ever comes to show
down: lady is cousin of prominent
clerkship through the relationship, and by
the same means secured the appointment of
seven nr eight more clerks at good salaries.
and these clerks are now retained through
all the dismissals that have taken place.
They pay the lady who got them the place
large portion of the salaries they receive
each month. Young Raum was fred out of
the pension office for less than this.
An employe of the office was guilty of
gross breach of faith and gave out informa-
tion unauthorized and in advance of the
time agreed upon. The Associated press
per men interested in the particular infor-
nation made strong protest. carr 'ying the
matter to the secretary of the interior.
The secretary of the interior ordered Potter
to find and dismiss the emplove. Porter
promised to dismiss him and he was easily
found. In fact he came forward and ten
dered his resignation in the most non
chaent manner. At the same time his
friends asserted that Porter dare not either
dismiss him or accept his resignation, for
the reason that he was bright man and
knew things about the census office that
Porter did not care to have made public
He was not dismissed, nor was his resigna-
tion accepted.
There are rumors about the lavish ex-
pondituros of the Office the purchase of the
machinery III the office, speculations, the
use of the information collected by the
census office for the furtherance of private
gain, largs interests acquired here and there
by certain people who had access to infor-
nation gathered by the government--all
this in a nebulous state at present, but
which may come out i'll course of time and
with proper investigation. Then there is
still more disgusting side to the ruinors of
the rottenness that surrounds the whole
census-the immoi alities alleged to exist
and this part of The corruption will prob
ably never be proven.
No department of the government was
ever in more dsrepute with the newspaper
press of the entire country than the census
office. Without regard to party affiliations
or parers they represent tho newspaper
men here condemn in unmeasured terms
the way in which that part of the census
office relative to the furnishing of informa-
tion to the press has been conducted. With
the exception of a few personal pets of the
office the newspaper men of the capital
have experienced more trouble ana have
received more shabby treatment at the
hands of this bureau than any other de-
partment of the government. but the CEN
sus office does not know how to get infor-
nation. and 1t is not to be expected that it
would know how to impart it.
Mineral Entries on tho Reservation.
WAsHINaroN, July 3.-Commissoner
Carter, of the general land office has di-
rected the register and receiver of public
lands at Lewistown. Mont. to receive min
eral applications and allow IMMORAL entries
in the abandoned Fort Maginnis military
reservation. in Montana, under tho same
conditions as when made for other public
lands. The same rule will apply to the
abandoned Fort MoDermott military resor-
vation in the state of Nevada.