Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-11-07

tache of the bureau of statistics in
1854 There was no intimation in that
suggestion that costly political ma
chine, conducting business under the
nom de plume of THE Factory In
spector's Department" was needed.
On the contrary, he advised the ap-
pointment of three factory inspectors.
to be employed as an additional work.
ing force for the bureau of Industrial
statistics, and that their Investigations
We're to be incorporated in the bureau
reports. The cost to carry out this
project successfully would never ne
cessarily exceed $4,000 per annum.
whereas, under the system inaugurated
by the Republican machine the present
cost of the factory inspectors depart
ment exceeds the enormous sum of
$4,000 per annum.
HOW IT INCREASES.
To show the steady increase in the
cost to maintain this department. moth
ing more is necessary than to scan the
reports of expenditures as compiled
in the office of the auditor general for
the following years: 1890, $5.176; 1892,
S12,375 1894, $27, ,920 1896, s36, 800; 1898,
$40, 900.
OF the sum of $S0000 appropriated in
1897 to maintain this department, $780,
600 are paid in salaries and 500 900 are
used as political campaign fund under
the gulse of contingent travelling ex-
penses.' Besides the factory inspector,
his clerk and stenographer, there are
twenty deputies paid to perform the
work that four good men could perform
easily and have time to spare.
PADDED REPORTS.
When $4,000 are annually paid to
maintain a department it becomes ne
cessary to make a showing of some
kind for the apparent necessity for the
outlay. For this reason resort is had
to a system known as padding the
reports"
AS a sample of padding, the report of
the factory inspector for 1897 is worth
an examination. 1t contains sos print
ed pages. every page of which in ex-
cess of 10, the report proper as required
by law, is padding. There are % pages
of the laws of Pennsylvania, pages
of the laws of other states, 1913 pages
containing the proceedings of the In
ternational Association of Factory In
spectors and 533 pages of reports of In
spectors.
That the inspectors should make a
detailed report of their labors to their
chief does not admit of question, but
when the reports have been made his
duty is to simply summarize such re-
ports for the public benefit, filing away
the cumbrous originals as department
documents which may possibly be of
use as reference papers. Each inspect
or reports the number and location of
the factories visited, goods manufac-
tured, date of inspection, etc. The re-
ports are printers "phat," as pub
lished. Much of the matter is nonsense
in the first instance, and not one line
of it is fit for publication in the crude.
undigested form in which 1t appears
in print at a cost of many thousands
of dollars.
INSPECTORS OF COAL MINES.
In 1888 the coal mines of Pennsylva-
mia were as well inspected as now.
True, there were many complaints from
coal miners of neglect of duty on the
part of the mine inspectors, but the
complaints have since then grown more
exaggerated, ending, for the time be-
ing, in the creation Of a mine bureau
in 1897, said bureau officials to have
special supervision over the mine in
spectors.
All the mine inspectors are expected
to contribute to the support of the Re-
publican machine not in money only,
but in the performance of proselyting
campaign work. The following Is an
exhibit compiled from the records of
the auditor general of the moneys Civ
en- by the state to maintain and sup
port mine inspectors:
1888, s3S, ,1S9; 1885, $34637; 1890, s4S,-
94S; 1898, SCI, ,556 1897, s66, ,OOO
The reports for the years 1897 and
1898 do not include moneys for contin-
gent and other expenses, which, If in
cluded, would increase the amounts to
about $4,000 for each year.
glance at the exhibit will show the
enormous increase from year to year
in the sums of money taken from the
public treasury and paid to support a
corps of officials over whom the state
legislature, by act of 1897, felt con-
strained to appoint supervisor. Ev-
eTybody favors rigid mine inspection.
No honest man favors the reckless ex-
penditure or the making of the depart
ment an adjunct of whatever may hap
pen to be the reigning political machine