St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-05-16
BUSINESS. NOT POLITICS.

There was nothing outside of the
Influences supposed to have secured
the appointment that warranted the
feeling of disappointment, if not
diStrust, with which the appoint
ment of Mr.. LAMoREAUX as land
commissioner was received. It. how
ever, put on him the task of show
ing by his official conduct that the feel
ing was unfounded. His first action,
which involves matters with which the
Northwest is sufficiently familiar to
enable it to judge of the merits of the
action, confirms the feeling.
Under the act of 1889 the pine on the
lands OF the Chippewa reservation is to
be examined and the number Of feet
upon each fortyacre tract estimated.
This work is not only extremely ardu-
Gus. but it requires that special knowl-
edge which is only acquired by years of
experience. The estimators work in
gangs of three. They live in the woods.
They pack their food and camp equi-
page from place to place on their backs.
They trough it," emphatically. They
must be able to run the lines" of the
sections from the surveyors marks on
the trees or other monuments. They
must estimate the quantity, in feet. of
pine standing on each forty acres. This
must be done with approximate accu-
racy and entire honesty. Their reported
estimates form the guide as to the value
OF the pine when it is sold. This brief
sketch gives an idea of the qualifica-
tio1s needed. Being a good Democrat
Will not help any one to do this work,
though it will not hinder. Politics,
though, cannot take the place nor do
the work of skill. In fact, there is no
politics in it, or there should be none.
The government does not pay for it; it
is all paid by the Chippewas out of the
proceeds of the sale of their piue. 1t is
a business matter simply.
With this statement of the work and
the experience absolutely essential to
its performance, the selection of esti-
majors made by the land commissioner,
so far as they are personally known to
the GLOBE, show that that officer has
been guided by his political rather than
his business sense. Of those known to
the GLOBE but one is a lumberman, and
he will hardly think of going into the
woods for the summer at Sc day and
find" himself. One is city lawyer,
another grain man, another brick
layer. None of them, the GLOBE is sure,
had any idea of the actual work the job
entails. OF the expert knowledge it de-
mands. They were probably lured by
the prospect of soft snap with Sc a
day land expenses" When they find
that they must defray their own ex-
penses,and that they will have to rough
it i'll the swamps with the festive m US
quito, and especially when they ascer-
tain the actual work to be done, they
will not regard the snap as in anywse
soft one.
But whatever excuses may be made
for these men, what shall be said of the
fitness of Commissioner LAMoREAUX
for his place to make such appointments?
If he does not know the qualifications
demanded he is not fit for his place. If
he does know and makes appointments
without regard to them and merely fol-
their political qualification he is again
unfit for his place. The estimators dis
placed were expert, but their honesty
was questioned; these appointees may
be honest, but their fitness for the work
is open to question. If this is TO be the
character of the commissioners per-
formances the administration will gath
er no credit from his incumbency.