The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-02

and among the microscopes and the ladies
who do not work are as nothing compared
to the wasteful extravaganza that has been
carried on under the weather bureau. Until
very recently this more or less very valu-
able adjunct Of the agricultural department
has been under the jurisdiction of the war
department, and, Of course. carried on un-
der the same red tape, extravaganza meth
DDS that characterize the management Of
affairs of the army, and Secretary Rusk
was not responsible for the scandals of that
bureau. Neither does Secretary Morton
hold Prof. Mark w. Harrington, the present
chief Of that bureau, responsible. Ia fact,
Mr. Morton does not place the blame upon
any one man or set of men. He regards
Prof. Harrington as an able. efficient and
honest man. who will, ii time is given him.
briug the weather bureau into high state
Of efficiency. But, whoever Is TO blame
the fact remains that some outrageous cases
of favOritism, extravaganza and frauds
upon the taxpayers exist and have existed
for some time There is no doubt that,
under the guise Of special agents. places
have been filed by political leaders, whose
only duty has beeu to sign the pay roll, and
that many of them are clsssed as 'profes-
sors" at Il salary, in many cases of S3O0O
It is also true that large sums OF money
have been expended on scientific ex-
perimeLts, many Of which are regarded by
the general public as being entirely without
valus. A sample case of this kind IS that
of q professor with high salary who has
been for a long time spending the governs
men5 money in an effort TO ascertain
whether dust will produce rain. OF course,
opinion is divided as to the value and pTac-
ticabilty of such expenditures, and no less
an authority than Prof. Harrington, it is
understood, expressed the utmost conf
dence that, the experiments now being made
- Ill L. s. ~
value to tie scientific world. Another emf
neut professor is the regularly installed pass
tor Of "a large congregation in the city, and
ministers daily to the needs OF his flock.
But cJncedIng that some of the expert
ments are Of practical value, the fact re-
mains that the weather bureau is carried on
in an outrRgeously extravaganza manner
A glance at the annual appropriation bill
will show this TO be true. The chief of the
anumber of professors, one at 1000, two at
$1,000 and three at 81, 500 each. Besides
these be has major and lieutenant in the
army detailed to assist in the work. Then,
as officers in the administration division
there are an assistant chief at 50 900, an
executive officer at 81, 500, a chief clerk at
50, POO, three chiefs of divisions at $1,000
telegraphs at $1,000. In the depart
ment of agriculture. of which the
bureau is part, there is one chief
clerk at $500, practically filing a place
which 1t takes three officials 10 che bureau
to fill at an aggregate salary OF $780,
INSPECTORS aud clerks fill out the somewhat
formidable salary list, still further extended
however, by skilled artisans and mechgni-
clans, and then come the messengers and
laborers of which there is a small army.
The orderly" idea of the army officers Is
herein apparent, and the rolls of messengers
in the weather bureau suggests that every
one above the rank of clerk must be az
tended by a special messenger or under Iiv-
cry Of some kind. Not less than twenty
one messengers are required 10 this one
bureau irrespective of the captain of the
watch and the watchmen, tiremen and char
women.
1t is, however, in the second clause of the
appropriations that Secretary Morton will
doubtless find the most tempting opportuni-
ties for subtraction, division aud retreuch-
ment, for here is found q lump sum for local
forecast officials, observers, assistant OBJ
servers operators, repairmen, and other
necessary civilian employees outside of the
city of Washington of 1929, 900. A detailed
statement OF their duties and OF the time put
in on this roll would be interesting, and this
is where the special agents" come in. 1t Is
probable that neither Prof. Harrington,
chief of the bureau nor Uncle Jerry Rusk
have ever been through the roll from top to
bottom, or there would surely have been
some pruning down ere this. However tits
the more power to Secretary MortOn's ell
bow aud he will set himself to the work of
discharging every employe whose knowl-
edge or services ID not needed and who does
not return a fair days work for each days
pay.