The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-24
WHERE is IT2
All the Money That the State
Oil Inspector
Is Supposed to Have Taken In
For the State.
SOURCE OF DOODLE.
The State Oil Inspectorship a
Pudding
For AnyUnscrupulous Man Who
Gets the Job.
SOURCE OF DOODLE.

Governor Morrill,, before he left for the
east, told State Treasurer Atherton that
he had informed State Oil Inspector
Kelley that he would require him to make
monthly reports and turn in his colIec-
tions monthly hereafter.
This order is in excess of the COVER
nor's prerogative, as the law only re-
quires that the inspector shall make his
reports and turn in fees once a year.
Still if the governor ia N serious earnest
a little thing like that viii not cut any
figure as the inspectors tenure of Office
is at the pleasure of the executive and if
Mr.. Kelley should show a disposition to
stand on mis- statutory right it would be
only the matter of stroke of the pen
for the governor to let Mr. Kelley out
So, presuming of course that the gov
ernoT's order is the wood with the bark
on it," we may expect a report from Mr.
Kelley along about the first or second
week in September giving an account of
his stewardship since he succeeded In
Hpector Taylor last spring. More than
that it will be the first real test of State
Auditor Coles back bone. Cole has said
that officials who by law are entitled to
road pass on him and call it d railroad
ticket Only statements of money actu-
ally paid out will receive his approval.
Opposed to this manifesto is NJ. G.
Kelly, Of Crawford county, a great II
am" q power that in times past has
claimed at least to make and unmake
men. even governors and auditors. kel-
ley is of no common clay; there is no
Tully Scott, or Armstrong, or Jim
Humphrey in N. c. Kelley. He don't
run at the simple pass of the hand. Kel-
ley is a fighter, Kelley is, and the
chances are that Cole will have to eat
that railroad pass, aye, four of them, the
inspectors and the three that the depu-
ties carry.
Mr.. Kelley is getting along with three
deputies this year. Slime, Perkins, and
Cochran. and he took one of these under
protest because the old soldiers made
Ruch fuss.
Taking out the item of railroad fare,
ALWAYS presuming that Mr. Cole won't
eat that pass. the oil inspectors office
will be a source of revenue instead of
stand off. Let US take Inspector Taylor's
figures and see how much the state
would have got if the Populist admins
tration hadn't eat the pass. In the
twenty-one months Taylor was in Office
he reported collections of $18,310.75, of
which he had on hand January 1st, 1895,
belonging to the state $936.35, leaving
The salaries of his office, including five
deputies, under the law, amounted to $3.50
2 month, which in twenty -one months
would amount to 1880. Substracting
this from $17, 314 40 we have SO, 964 40 to
the credit of the railroad pass. Mr.. TaY-
lOr seems to have got the best of the
state in addition to his salary SO, 9644J
up to January, 1895. He continued in
office three months longer or one-seventh
of the time he reported for which on the
basis Of the railroad pass balance" for
the twenty one months, would add ST.
423 to his perquisites on account of thas
pass, or a total of $11,387, over and
above salary account.
In addition Taylor has that $996.35
and something more.
But there turks an idea in the public
mind that Mr.. Taylor did not report all
that be ins pected The minimum fee
for inspections is ten cents barrel by
the tank Mr.. Taylor reports that he
inspected 1S3, 106 barrels, and that his
fees for this work amounted to $1S, $40 rs
in twenty -oue months
The STATE JOURNAL has no data at
hand to contradict this statement, but
men who handle coal oil and gasoline
estimate a larger consumption than 1S3-
$40 barrels in the state in that length of
time. The STATE JOURNAL has found
each family per day including
the quantity consumed for other
than domestic purposes, which really is
the larger portion of consum ption, is one
quart There are in Kansas nearly q
million and half of people. Say it is a
million: that would be 300 900 families,
or a consum ption of $4,000 gallons day,
which in 365 days would run up to 49,
100000 gallons. This at fifty-ti gal
Ions to the barrel would amount to 331, :
S18 barrels. The inspection fees on this
amount would be $33, 80 year. This
probably is in excess of the real amount
consumed per family in a year. Say il
is, but q pint a day consumed by a
family, which would make the gross re-
ceipts $16.59090. The salaries of the in.
spector and FIVE deputies amounted un-
der Taylor to 81, 200, leaving $12 800 sc
on the basis of pint day to be credited
to shat pass"
Returning to Col. Taylor's report again
before the statute of limitations commen
ces to run, there is some curiosity mani
tested by the public to know why Taylor
has not been required by the business
admin istraton to turn in to the state
treasury that $99635 that he had or
hand due the state January 5th. AnC
naturally there would be a little on hand
over and above the expenses when be
quit the office in April. That ia an item
that must not be overlooked when the
state calls on Mr.. Taylor to settle.
While all this difference between the
Taylor salaries and the amount he ad
mits that he received in fees is credited
to shat pass" as matter of fac
$4,000 a year would cover all necessary
travelling expenses, including railroad
fare Pullman CHARGE and hotal biils n