Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-28
NEED OF A PASS INSPECTOR
Records Of the Gates the Most Potent of
Arguments,
BLACKBURN POINTS OUT DOOR FOR FRAUD
Present system of Passes and Of Their
Issuance Oners n Premium
W on Dishonesty-Not Seek
ing a Place.

The fact that the pass gates admitted
more people into the grounds than the pay
gates has for some time past been the source
OF serious alarm to the managers OF the ex-
position. The number of free passes has
ranged from 1000 to 5000 daily, and 1t has
become manifest that hundreds II not thou
sands pass through the pass gates daily who
have no right, who have either been SNUG
gled on the free list or are travelling on
others names. AS there has been no check
on free admissions and no system whatever
to prevent imposition or detect fraud Man
ager Rosewater has for weeks been urging
the appointment of a pass inspector with
authority to check UP the deadheads, after
comparison of lists, and to devise some sys-
tenn by which the free list should be cur
tailed and imposture stopped. More than
two weeks ago a resolution was adopted by
the executive committee directing the Blu
reau of Admissions to employ such an in
spector. The head of the bureau-Manager
Lindsey-repeatedly asserted that he could
not find a competent person for the place.
Last week, on Wednesday,, Mr.. Lindsay,
Just before starting for a trip to Dakota
Hot Springs, with other members of the
executive committee, was again reminded of
the urgent need of the pass inspector, and
said then to Manager Rosewater that IL he
could find a man he considered qualified to
engage him. Two days later, on Manager
Rosewater's recommendation the committee
rendered the place to Mr.. T. w. Blackburn
at s. per day for whatever time he might
be occupied. Mr.. Blackburn, on being noti-
fed Of the committees action called on
Manager Bruce, who was then acting in
place of Manager Lindsay of the Ways and
Means department, and was requested to
await the return Of Manager Lindsay be-
fore assuming the duties. In the meantime
Mr.. Blackburn visited the Bureau of Ad-
missions and endeavored to familiarize him
self with the condition of affairs and the
task that was to be imposed upon him. On
Mr.. Lindsay's return Mr.. Blackburn wrote
him the following letter:
Makes Some suggestions.
OMAHA, July 25.-Z. t. Lindsay, ESD
MY Dear Sir: At a meeting of the executive
committee of the Transmississippi and IN
ternational Exposition association on Fri
day afternoon, l was elected pass inspector.
This action was taken without solicitation
on my part and l do not know whether or
not l can afford to accept the position.
however, l have spent some time in maxi
ing inquiries, and submit the following sug-
gestions as to infirmities discovered:
L. The card passes, trip passes, working
mems passes. press passes and employees
passes afford the exposition no protection
whatever against abuse.
2. There is no check attempted whereby
to detect abuses in the matter Of issuing
passes on the request of heads Of depart
ments.
3. There Is no record of the use made of
any form of time passes.
4. There is no check against the num-
bers, and any printer could duplicate any
form of exposition pass except the photo
graph passes without danger of detection.
8. Collision between the holder of any
form of pass and the gatekeeper will per-
NIT one, two, three or even six persons to
use the same pass.
G.. The gatekeeper's sole reliance as to
the identity Of the holder of the pass
other than n photograph pass, Is the sigma
ture the holder of such pass makes with a
lead pencil.
Z. There is no record made against q
department on time passes, nor against any
exhibitor or concessionaire who may hold
such pass.
s. In the matter Of certain kinds of passes
the superintendent of a department makes
q request for a fiat number and he is no
required to advise the Bureau of Admis'
slons to whom the same were issued or by
whom they were used.
8. When a fraud Is detected no record II
made, which will prevent the same part.
from the same fraud through another de
partment, or even the same department.
10. Instances have come to the attention
of the Bureau OF Admissions where out-of
town persons nave loaned tnelr passes u
other visitors, but these would not haV,
been detected, except for the excessive stu
pidity of the recipients of the passes. 4
card pass, requiring no signature of N
owner, and affording no means of determin
ing whether the party presenting 1t, Is tn
one to whom 1t was issued or not. nigh
almost as we'll read, admit bearer"
Invitation to Fraud.
II. The forms adopted for passes, wit
thn nYpnntinn nf the nhntnprAnh mass mr.
all wrong, and afford unlimited opportunit
for fraud. In fact, they invite deception
and place a premium upon sharp practice
and / do not see how 1t is possible to ayoi
frauds, so long as they are used. Whoeve
devised these surely had a sublime faith l
the absolute honesty of visitors to an eX
position.
10. Exhibitors and concessionaires can an
do obtain more passes than they are emit
tied to, but the pass records OF the Burea
of Admissions do not present any facilitiG
for correcting the abuse, since no chare
whatever appears against the exhibitor
concessionaire.
10. 1t is possible for one and the SAN
man to get an exhibitors pass, a conces
sionaire's pass, an employees pass and
workingamn's pass, as we'll as one readin
simply reporter" and to have a friend vi
ing each of the passes every day, and eac
friend letting in four or five other friend
with the gate keepers all doing their dut
IA. There are fifty trip passes each, p,
week, issued to each head of a department
and nobody pretends to check over the stul
of these trips, and not the least attempt
made to prevent such trip passes beir
transferred at Will.
IS. In your absence, / did not feel Just
fed in demanding permission to examil
records In your department, and, OF cours
did not call on other department officials 4
information, but / saw enough and learn'
enough to warrant me In saying, that II Il
exposition is not losing thousands of dolla
as the result Of pass frauds, it is becau
the people attending the exposition a
either scrupulously honest, or hopeless
stupid. Well known as ] am in Omaha,
will undertake, on a wager, with a sing
card pass, to admit six friends, no one
whom shall resemble me in any ~particulf
and l shall not tamper with the gate keep
either.
AS to the correction of the abuses, l ha
some definite notions, which could be su
mitted. II desired.
My time is quite we'll occupied now WI
my own business. ! am not seeking outsi
engagements, and the compensation pr
posed. is no inducement to me to aband
my Office to a clerk, and give my emit
time to exposition work. However, IL l
executive committee has confidence in l
ability TO perform the duties OF the ON
of pass inspector, will clothe me with I
necessary authority, provide necessary Gle
zeal help. office rooms, records, ETC., a
permit me to apply myself 10 the propos
inspection In my own way, leaving me !