The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-07
BENEFITS Of A BUREAU.

To fellow up a tree, it looks like the
prolonged senatorial contest had ratified
our worthy legislators. The only notice
able measure that has real merit is a
bill introduced by Hansen. suggested by
the governors message to provide for a
businesS-like counting up of the property
oil the state, and because the objects
thought to be obtained are not at all. or
very imperfectly, understood this bill
creating bureau of statistics, is likely to
be killed, or knitted in such a way as to
cripple its usefulness. very abe argu-
ment by Senator Chambers in favor of
the bill was printed and presented to each
member of both houses a week ago, but it
seems not to have been considered or
even read. by those members who have
arrayed themselves against the bill No
member seems bold enough TO declare
against the necessity of such a depart
ment of state. The opposition, so far. is
based solely on the expense of conducting
II. suppose a merchant We're to refuse to
take stock once year of his merchan-
disc because of the expense of doing So
Would he not be thought silly and away
behind the times? Suppose a railway
company concluded it unnecessary to
count up its mileage and equipment or
other assets. Do We not know how hope
lessly entangled il would become and
now far 1t would drop behind its Compel
ltors? How would insurance companies
and banking corporations succeed if they
never took an inventory nor drew bal
ance sheet? Yet the affairs of state can
properly be compared with these. A citi-
zen manages his own affairs as wisely as
he may, but at every election he appoints
over himself a number of officers to rep
resent and protect his interests and prop
erty. Every citizen of the state, whether
possessed of property or not is q CO.
owner in that of the state Everyone
alike Is interested in knowing its aggre-
gate worth, and especially the officers who
are stewards over it. The cost of ar
irving at this aggregate worth is a baga-
telle compared with the information it
will afford. California spends from $40 90
TO $4,000 per year; Colorado nearly as
much. and most other states spend large
sums for this purpose. OF course, the
expense will be borne by the whole people
and, on the supposed total value OF the
state, II VIII amount TO a one-hundredth
part of one per cent bi-annually. Yet
even this small sum is begrudged for the
purpose. The original estimate seems to
have been conservatively placed at about
5000 per year this was reduced by the
S3,CO0. and by some this mite is thought
eXtraVagant. The officer to whom will
be entrusted the enormous ask of compil-
ing the work, TO be successful, will need
the brain of Webster. HA must have an
intimate knowledge of the state and all
its resources. He must be a diplomat. q
statesman and a lawyer. he must have
reached = ripe period of live to have at
tanned its experiences; in sh Ort, the BRAIN
lest man in the state viii have his hands
full for many a year, and with much as
sistance in order to complete the work.
Yet, when the committee mtsdestly placed
the worth of such a man at $500 per
year. the price of an ordinary railway
clerk our wise legislators immediately
cut it down 10 s.. 200 Even ut this price.
there is no doubt of many applicants for
the position. scores of them were it even
cut to S6OO. but il is safe to say that not
one in a million of such applicants would
be competent. while those who really are
able to assume such a task. to not need
to run after employment. They are al
ways in demand at salaries twice and
thrice what the legislators deem suffi-
.ient. THE FELLOW UP 4 TREE.