The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-01-04

some Of the work OF their predecessors
exposes the seiectneh to much criticism.
BY the opinion furnished by the new
county attorney. it was admitted that
the former county court had full legal
authority to make the appointments of
deputy statisticans, and to fix the
amount Of their per diem. There no
question, then, as to the legality Of the
former proceedings. What, fnen, was
the reason that prompted the new
Icounty court, agaiast the protest of the
probate judge, to turn out the ap-
pointees 50 recently chosen, and select
q new set without any objections being
found with the incumbents?
1t appears that the new selectnien
wanted to bestow rewards upon their
supporters when running for Office.
That may appear all right to them from
a strong partisan standpoint, but 60 the
general public it looks simply disgust
ling 1t is regarded as an open declara-
ton that the fresh, very fresh, menu
bers Of the county court intend to be-
stow patronage, where they can, upon
their especial favorites and pay no re-
speet toward the lawful acts of their
predecessors in office. They did not
open the new year and their official
course with much dignity or regard for
lofficial decorum. 1t was paItry and
partisan thing to do.
We do not Dispute the power they
mad TO make this abrupt change. But
power and its decent and prudent exer-
| else are not always the same or in as
ISOLATION, and that receives "a striking
ILLUSTRATION in this case.
However, since it is done it can now
only be regarded as an indication Of
what one may expect from that source,
and so we viii pass on to explain
what the statiSticians are expected to-
do, and answer the question why a
census is to be taken by them in the
present year.
The Utah. law Of 1892 creating a
bureau of statistics is responsible for
the work to be done by these officers.
Il constitutes the territorial librarian
the territorial statistican. 1t REQUIRES
the county courts in the several coun-
ties to appoint, on or before the first
day of January in each year, one or
more competent men as deputy statis-
ticians. Their duty is to. collect the
statistical data enumerated in the law.
which comprise a great deal of valuable
information.
The statistics required relate to the
acreage of land. improved and unim-
proved, irrigated or enclosed for pas
turage; value of crops, number and
kinds of fruit trees, farm and dairy
products. animals owned. tete. Also
data of amounts expended for public
and private buildings; number of in
dustrial establishments, stores. street
railways. smelters. mining companies.
ETC.; number of employees and rates
of wages; irrigation data and other such
particulars.
In the year 1895 and every thire wear
thereafter census of the inhabitants
of each county is to he taken. The
work Of collecting statistics is to COM
mence in February OF each year and be
for the year. preceding. All this infor-
nation is to be forwarded to the terri
torial statistician, who is to compile it
by the first day of August, and by the
first day of September have ready for
distribution 5000 printed copies thereof
Refusal to give the information by par
ties required to impart it, on a proper
application, carries a penalty of not
less than five dollars nor more than
two hundred dollars, and neglect or
refusal Of any deputy statistfcian to per-
form his duty is made misdemeanor.
Our friends in city and county should
hold themselves in readiness to give
information, by filling out blanks fur
nished to them or otherwise, when
called upon by the proper officer. 1t is |
for the public benefit and should not be
counted a hardship. A bureau of
statistics has been needed for MANY
years, and it is to be- hoped that it will
prove as useful as anticipated. All the
same, it ought not to be worked up as a |
partisan scheme nor made a machine
by which to grind out political rewards
for pets and election workers.