Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-04-09
The BLAME PUT on The HOUSE.
Auiaaee-AEembeEs Accused OF Sins of Com
mission and of OmissiOn-Enect Of
Stopping Work on the State
House-Etc.

liam J, Buchan, chairman Of the senate
Iyays and means committee, has issued
a reply to Mr.. Elders address on behalf
of the Farmers Alliance and its ina
biIity to accomplish much in the late
legislature. After the legislature ad-
iourned," says Mr.. Buchan, 81 CHANGED
to see in the Kansas City Times pur-
ported speech of Speaker Elder made
in the house of representatives during
the closing hours of the session in re-
ply to some observations OF Senator
Osborne, in which the honorable speak
er arraigned the senate for wasteful ex-
travagance in its appropriations for the
current expenses of the state govern
ment This speech did not hear, hav-
other things to occupy my time in the
last moments of the session than listen
ing to the political harangues of the
leaders of that remarkable body OF
legislators, and take this, my first OPP
portunity, to state few facts concern
ing the subject matter of that speech. }"
Senator Buchan then gives the rules
of the senate which governed the intro
duction of the eighteen regular appro-
priation bills necessary to the main
tenance of the several state depart
ments- He then continues: AFTER
waiting a reasonable time for the house
TO act, and finding nothing done toward
making the appropriations incumbe
upon the legislature to make, as chair
man of the committee on the part of
the senate, 1 called in person upon MIR.
Rogers, chairman of the house commit
tee, to ascertain the conditions of the
appropriations to be made. / ascer-
tanned that no estimates had been made,
and no bills prepared by that commit
tee. then suggested to that committee
that rule IS provided for joint meetings
of the committees and that 1t might be
advisable for the two committees to
meet in joint session and prepare bills,
or at least agree upon a general line OF
policy to be pursued. This was assented
to and time and place fixed for such
joint meeting. At the designated time
the two republican members of the
house committee met the senate COM
mittee, but none other on the part OF
the house appeared, and of course moth
ing was done. The senate committee
then began the examination of the esti-
mates and the preparation of the neces-
sary data to formulate appropriation
bills
"Upon the eighteenth day of the ses-
sion finding that no bills had been pre-
pared or intr Jduced by the house com
mittee, there being but two days left
under the joint rules in which to intro
duce these bills. the senate committee
introduced the first of these necessary
appropriation bills and followed with
the balance within the prescribed time.
? fSSow, the house committee on ways
and means consisted of fifteen members
and the senate committee of seven
members. And it is matter of record
that the only one of the regular appro-
priation bills required by law and the
Joint rules to be passed that these IF
teen economical members of the house
wsys and means committee. which
Speaker Elder extols so highly as
standing between the senate and the
state treasury, prepared and introduced
into the house during the entire ses-
sion was the miscellaneous appropria-
ton bill This bill which this commit
tee by its constant and persistent eff
forts managed to formulate and
introduce in the house on March 10,
seven days after the time allowed by
rule, which came to the senate on the
same day seven days behind time.
This remarkable effort of Speaker Ell
der's committee contained on reaching
the senate 81 items. OF this number
274items were sums appropriated as per-
sonal perquisites of members and en-
ployes of this economical house of repre-
sentatives. Fifty per cent. of the aggre-
gate of this personal benefit bill,
amounting to S19, $40. O6, was for mileage
and expenses of the members who
travelled about the state on railroad
passes and boarded at the several insti-
tutions of the state while in the vain eff
fort to learn something of the methods
of conducting the affairs of the state in
., which their education seems to have
been sadly neglected, and for the man
agement of which their legislative work
appears to have fully demonstrated
their incapacity for public affairs.
Rooms in the city of Topeka were
rented and payment therefor provided
for in this bill under pretext of being
necessary for committee rooms and
there apartments were occupied as
sleeping quarters for members and en-
ployes of the house, as well as numer-
GUS other items of equally questionable
public necessity.
Another of the appropriation bills
formulated and introduced by these
watch dogs of the state treasury was
the state printers bill, the Office of state
printer being held by a member of the
alliance party. This bill appropriated
for state printing for the fiscal years
1892 and 1898, the sum of S153, 900. The
same bill passed two years previous for
q republican state printer amounted to
$40, 800. so, making the state printing
under an alliapce state printer cost S12,
5O9.7O more than under a republican
officer.
81 also find appropriated TO pay the
expenses of special investigations on
the part Of the house the further sum
of S42, 22S so, to provide for which this
economic body found it necessary to re-
duce the wages of teachers clerks,
mechanics and employees of the several
institutions of the state to such an ex-
tent as to do injustice to faithful public
servants, and TO very materially impair
the efficiency of the public service. Al
ready many of the most efficient en-
ployes of the state have resigned rather
than accept the pay allowed"
lBuchan gives the senate appropria.
tons in detail and thereon adds: 'tBv