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Show WHAT Is THE rOiTLlTIOS: Threo weeks ago today the City Council appropriated JU07.75 for counting tho ieopIe of Salt I.ake City. This action as taken before the enumerators hail made their re-iorts, re-iorts, consequently it was somewhat premature, to say the least. We believe be-lieve it i tlie rule because of the absurdity of any other method or lr:isacuug public business to ascertain as-certain whether the work or the ch-s referred to has ln-cii done before be-fore it is paid fur. It is presumable, now ever, that the reports have been all iu fur some time, and it the enumerators enu-merators have been thorough tlie officials are in possessionof Information Informa-tion of much value and hich belongs be-longs to the public, who paid fur It. Why then is it not imparted? Is it because the figures do not reach the i-stmiatc of hyierboIie "boomers?" If this It not the reason is not there a lurking suspicion that tlio work has lieeu imperfectly doue, and the result in consequence unreliable? If tlio lublic cannul 1 get tlie information some reason j should be given tor Us being with-j with-j held. Is their a patient Malting foi t tne publication or tlie result or the I government enumeration Inordei j to bridge any chasm that might ex-j ex-j 1st lwt een the results or the tno processes? The delay in giving I the people the information ror which I they have laid necessarily incites a i great many conjectures, in conse-I conse-I quenee of the brilliaut silence maintained main-tained on tlie suljcot by the city oHicials. The taking of the census cf this city under the auspices orthe municipal muni-cipal corjioratiou was, in view orthe work iu-tiiuted by the General Government, supererogatory, each batch of enumerators having to do precisely the same labor, except that what was required re-quired of thcnatioual counters jras much more clalorate, notwithstanding notwith-standing that those employed by the city received about one-half more remuneration. Kor instance, the government enumerators receive two cents a name, coujvled with elalrarate questions ques-tions not p-opotinded by tho city officers. If the populatijn be -V),-OCKl, tho govcrnmeut )ays I000 for tlie work. For less labor the city pays 5I4A7.T5. However, it must be admitted that Uncle Sam's pay is rather scrimp, aud no question would have lieen raised as to the amount appropriated to the city enumerators had the work not been, iniewof tlie government ix-dsuh, entirely unnecessary. The institut-ingofsuch institut-ingofsuch a labjr merely to improvise impro-vise rmrloyment ror political artizms i au inexcusable piece of joblwry, ir that was the sole reason for it. It Is lifllcult to discover or even imagine iny other. Tne withholding from :ho public the census information ibtamed at the expense of the tax-mi tax-mi era only makes tho matter more iggravated. The people should tuow the numerical status of the wpulation of Salt Lake City as Igured nut by the municipal enum-irator", enum-irator", whether the conclusion grccs with that reachel by the Ulcers or the General Government r otherwise. |