Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-09-05
Washington Life
Some intervening Phases
and Conditions Observed
at the Matlsn'a Capitol

III
N----------
Chicago is awarded the dubious distinc-
ton Of turning out from its foundries more
doped food than any city in the country.
Little Old New York shrinks into second
place and Father Knickerbocker holds
his Stats to prevent a dangerous burst of
| merriment. The sad and painful story is
| told in the report OF a bureau of the
Agricultural department. In the last fiscal
year the department has detected and pros
ecuted more violations Of the food and
drug act in Chicago than in any other
| locality.
To such an extent is food adulteration
going on in Chicago that the Department
Of Agriculture and the Department of
Justice have centered their efforts upon
the problem of it's eradication in that city.
The heaviest fines for violation of the
law have been imposed in Chicago. and
District Attorney Sims is praised by the
Agricultural department officials for the
exceptionally efficient manner in which he
has conducted the prosecutions.
The department has recorded 1855 violations
of the act last year throughout the country
and has obtained convictions in all but half a
dozen of the prosecutions growing out Of
their detection. Shipments of adulterated
and misrepresented foods and drugs have
been seized and confiscated and the manu-
facturers fined all the way from $40 to 5000
for each offense.
Shutdown doctors" are an institution pc
culiar to the national capital. They are
physicians who practice their profession
only after shutdown.
From in the morning until half past 4
o'clock in the afternoon they are holding
down desks in various departments of the
federal government. When their daily task
for Uncle Sam is done they take up that
pertaining to their profession.
There are many shutdown doctors in the
employ OF the government at Washington.
In many cases medical students with little
means secure clerkships in the departments
in order that they may provide themselves
with living while they are finishing their
medical courses. Their diplomas thus
Iaborlously acquired, they enter tentatively
upon the practice of medicine, holding on,
however, to their government Jobs until
they shall be firmly established profession
ally.
Nor are all shutdown doctors mere clerks.
Not a few of them hold chiefships OF d-
vision, a circumstance which of course rem
ders the act of resignation from the gov
eminent service a still more unlikely
event than in the case of a simple clerk.
No matter how earnestly a shutdown doctor
may tell himself that some day he will
quit the departmental service to engage
exclusively in the practice OF his profession
he generally deceives himself.
Seventy million dollars on a joy ride
through the streets OF Washington, ID. c.,
is a sight to be seen every weekday at
the national capital. And this money stands
less chance OF getting hurt through the
carelessness of the driver OF the wagon 1t
rides in than any Joy rider, animate or
inanimate in the country. For the treasury
has a new money wagon, brand new We
hice made of hardwood, iron and steel,
with heavy locks and bars, to bring money
from the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing, where 1t is made. to the vaults Of
the treasury, where it Is stored for safe
keeping.
| And not ony is the new wagon nearly
bomb-proof in itself, but inst to make sure
that some foolish person with visions of
Jesse James holdup scheme, will never
succeed in accomplishing anything of the
sort, eight heavily armed guards ride to
and fro with the seventy millions,
| All this extra precaution is due to the
change in the system of making money.
! Until recently the money was printed at
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but
/ sent to the treasury minus the seal and
| the number. so that II was not real money
until handled in the treasury.
| The compilation of the thirteenth census
| of tho United States will cost Uncle sam
between sl4OOO,OOO and SIS, 900 900, 1t is now
believed at the census bureau Congress
| has appropriated $l2OOO,00O for the census
taking and viii probably be called upon
to appropriate for the deficit
! The balance of the $2,OOO,OOO appropri-
ated on hand July 80 was $5,1llGl7 and
| this has been reduced since that date, OF
the 10000 enumerators about 5000 have
been paid, and the rest are being paid OF
as fast as the vouchers can be received Al
the census office. For the work done By
81 $50 enumerators S3,7O7, $50 has been paid
The salaries Of the special agents and
supervisors are not included I'm the sums
paid the enumerators The pay OF EN-
ployes at the office in Washington amounts
now to almost $500 900 a month
/ The clerks who work the tabulating ma
chimes are becoming more and more eff
cient Some Of them who use the electric
punching machines punch as many as 3OS
a day, giving them Sc per diem. \ number
Of others turn out 1000 daily. They ar,
making more money by piece work thar
they could through the regular salary and
the promotions allowed
Ha - ST 1pt faF