The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-20
BOARD RIDDEN.
Hundreds OF Thousands of Dol
lars Wasted Yearly
In Kansas By Useless Boards
and officials.
CAN'T KILL 'EM OFF.
POpulists Made No Reform in
the Matter
And Republicans Are Fully as
Bad.
TO "GIT A PLENTY
TO "GIT A PLENTY"
While They're Gettin' Seems to
Be the Idea
Of All Parties, Whatever Name
You Call Them By.

In previous article the STATE Jour
NAL discussed the useless state board of
railroad commissioners. 1t pointed out
the fact that the board was created for
the purpose of providing places for poll
ticians as a reward for party service. 1t
showed conclusiveiy that the board was
powerless to enforce its ORDERS and that
to maintain it for the accommodation of
two or three politicians who must be
taken care of, the taxpayers were COM
PEELED to foot the bill to the tune of about
$4,000 annually.
At the session of the legislature last
winter an effort was made to pass law
which would give the railroad board
power to enforce it's rulings and orders,
but when the bill reached the railroad
committee in the house the railroad
lobby pounced upon it and put it away in
the pigeon hole where it never again
saw daylight. The railroads know the
law is defective and that the board is
farce, but they would prefer to let 1t
stand as it is, and of course oppose any
effort to change it.
There are many other offices in Kan
sas which have been created for the sole
purpose of giving faithful.party worker
a place at the pie counter. During their
thirty years of uninterrupted control of
the state government there was a great
demand among Kansas Repu ublicans for
office. Naturally many unnecessary
places were created to satisfy the de-
mand for spoils.
During the campaign of 1892 the Pop
ulists had much to say about soft berths"
with which the Republicans had provid-
ed themselves, and promised, when they
! had the power to do away with them and
make big saving in the running expen-
ses of the state. When Lewelling was
inducted into office, however, he found
horde of hungry office seekers bounding
| him by day and by night, anxious for a
| share of the fruit of the victory. The
! Populists not only failed to make their
| promises good, but Governor Lewelling
paid out of his contingent fund several
thousand dollars for alleged legal SER
vices for the state to men he had been
/ unable to provide with fat Office.
The people of Kansas will be as
| founded to know just how many men are
| drawing fat salaries for which they do
not render service to the amount of 500
year. These places are fsrmed out to
the faithful by the politicians during
campaign. The party striker with the
strongest pull is the fellow that gets the
office with the biggest salary.
1t is the superhuous boards and clerks
in the various state offices and institu-
tions that should receive the attention of
the next session of the legislature. In
this category may be placed the state
board of health. the state board eff phar-
macy, state board of dentistry, state
board of pardons. directors of the peni-
| tentiary, state board of public works,
| commissioners of election, state veterina-
rian, labor commissioner and sdjutant
general.
Just what service the state board of
health ever rendered the people of Kan
sas except to squander from $4,000 to
$4,000 annually, history does not record.
The labor commissioners office has
been breeding place for political scan
dal since it was created. The methods
of Bird are little worse than those of his
predecessors, and for this the people
contribute annually nearly So. 900 for
salaries alone. The work of the labor
commissioner properly belongs to the
state board of agriculture and could be
carried on by the secretary without a
dollars additional cost to the state
The state board of pardons is another
useless appendix to the executive Office.
1t was created to assist tha governor in
| determining pardon cases, but like the
| railroad board, its recommendations are
not worth the paper they are written on
if the governor happens to dissent The
governor could profitably spend less time
| with of1ce-seekers and more with pardon
cases and save to the state annually
$250O
The state board of pharmacy is not
quite SO extensive as some of the boards.
1he secretary receives 5000 year while
the members of the board are paid So a
day while attending it's meetings.
The three directors of the state peni-
tentiary comprise board that is as use
less as wagon would be with five
wheels. The state board of charities,
which has charge of all other state in
stitutions. could look after the penjien
tiary without additional cost to the stale.
The penitentiary directors are paid $500
a year and travelling expenses
Then there is the Hutchinson reforma-
tory board over which there has been
such a scandal. This board is not needed.
/ The charities board could look after both
the penitentiary and reformatory and
save the state several thousand dollars
annually.
The members of the state board OF
dentistry receive $5 per day when
attending meetings This amounts to
quite sum annually, and the average