The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-23

1
! county moneys were present at the meet
| ing of the county treasurers which was
held at the senate chamber yesterday
afternoon.
They were Z s. Davidson of Morris
county, j. F. Meisenheimer of Brown,
w. H. Hollenshead of Norton, II. s.
| Reelon of Sherman J. II. Schienck of
Lane, II. E. Burton of Linn, G. L. Levett
| of Ellsworth, J. NJ. Garrison of Ander-
son, J. w. Arnold of Pottawatemie, 8.
Brownson of Greenwood, F. N. Nelson
| of Usage, F. NJ Stahl of Shawnee, G. II.
Pattison of Dickinson, G. w. Coo ter of
Reno, Ben. Schnierle of Wyandotte. w.
c. Gould of Pratt, NJ. N. Kiger of Allen,
A. L. Cox of Douglas and Nell Legler of
Jefferson. Mr.. Cox was president and
MIR Legler was secretary.
Mr.. SchnierIe's paper was on "Public
Funds and Public Repositories" He
said:
No more money should be exacted
J from tax payers than is absolutely need
ed. The common practice has been to
| levy a sinking fund for the years during
which bonds run, SO that By the time they
| mature, the money will be in the treas
| ury to pay them. Bonds should be made
to mature in such amounts each year SO
that a single levy made previous to the
date of maturity, will raise enough money
| to pay them.
"Public money should be kept in the
| banks where trade and commerce are
strengthened by its presence.
"The injury inflicted upon the bust
ness of a community by locking up
! 100000 in one lump in a county safe
is just great as that done by hiding
like sum in 1000 different stockings or
safe deposit boxes.
| "Under our present law bank desig
mated as public depository gives per-
| sonal bond in double the highe amount
| of az
| personal bond In Kansas is kind OF
tying in the sum of 100000 to-
! day, may be without any visible property
on which to fasten an attachment tomor-
row. There is always sufficient consid-
Grafton in one dollar and the love and af-
lection of the average Kansan for his
wife to pass the title in any conveyance
to her.
"If, instead, bank that asks to be des-
ignated as public depository, be first re-
quired to give United States bonds, state
| bonds or funded county bonds as colIat-
eral, every dollar of the public money SO
deposited will be safe. If the bank should
fail these bonds can be converted into
cash.
sin 1891 an act was struggled through
the leg isIature with an innocent title, AID
as an amendment to the act providing for
the assessment and collection of taxes. by
state repositories of the Topeka banks.
"Here is what P. /. Bonebrake says of
this law:
'"The new law was enacted. not at the
request of the Topeka banks, but was
done to save the mileage and to accommo-
date local bankers, who where often put
to great inconvenience to raise the cur
rency for the county treasurers. Now
they may give drafts on their Kansas City
CORES pondente which are sent hero by
mail and collected by our banks at no
cost to the state. All the state money we
receive is in this way. The state treas
urer never deposits a cent in cash with
the bank. The state runs no risk by this
method because county treasnrers get no
credit for payments until the drafts are
collected
81 do not believe that any local bank
was ever put to any Inconvenience to
raise the currency for the county treas
urer needed by him to pay state taxes
| due as required under the old law.
alt is hardly likely that this law was
Struggled through without the consent of
the Topeka banks and passed over their
! bitter opposition and persistent protest.
There are other banks in the state be-
sides those in Topeka who are equally
entitled to the use of the state funds.
| These banks give only personal bonds.
| 81 assisted in preparing bill for mu-
nicipal bonds as security for county
! funds, which bill passed the senate at its
| last session, and received favorable re-
| port from the house committee"
This provoked discussion and Mr..
| Partison told how it was in Dickinson
county, he said: "The banks refused to
give bonds one time as repositories and l
took $4,000 and locked it up in the
treasury vault and it was not long until
the banks came to time"
This raised a question as to the legality
of the act as the law plainly says the
treasurer shall" deposit the money in
repositories selected by the commission
ers.
when the bill was introduced in the
house." said Mr.. Gould; ait read shall
In the senate it was chauged to may
aud passed. It then passed the house
may but was enrolled 'shalP and the
governor signed it '5halP and it stands
'shali on the statute books, though it
was passed may; by the legislature"
In his paper on "County Clerks Check
on County Treasurer" Mr.Gould of Pratt
said, II believe the day ia coming when
there will be state accountant to come
around occasionally and check up every
county-treasurer. believe a daily check
system should be established and a bal
ance found between the clerk and treas
urer every day. Then we would be pre-
pared for anything anytime"
In the evening the members met at
County Treasurer Stahl's office and had
social session with oranges, bananas,
candy, nuts, cigars and ice water on the
side.
Ben. Schnierle was elected president,
F. N. Stahl vice president c. II. Patti
son secretary and treasurer. The follow
ing legislative committee was appointed:
Schnierle, Pattison, Gould, Brownson
Kiger, Cox and Legler.
When the association meets in Topeka
next year it will have q banquet aud the
committee named was Stahi Meisanhei-