The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-12
TO ENLARGE SCHOOL FUND.
Superintend ent Stryker Would Re-
cover Money Which Has Been
InproperlY Paid

State superintendent Stryker proposes
to enlarge the school fund by investi-
eating some of the causes which he
Claims in years past have been respOn-
sible for a loss of several million dol
lars to the state permanent school fund.
He also proposes with the aid of the at
torney general to bring suits to recover
parts of the school fund which have
been given away in violation of section
of article vi of the constitution. In
speaking of the matter he said:
THAT section of the constitution has
been violated repeatedly and millions of
dollars that belong TO the permanent
school fund have been lost. 1t matters
not whether the legislature has done it
good Intentions as when they told the
city of Lawrence it need not pay 800, 900
it had borrowed from this fund because
of certain other things the city of Law
renee had done, Or whether it was done
with no show of reason and with other
good intentions. as when the 500, 900
acres of land mentioned was taken from
this fund and given to four railroad
companies in the city of Topeka.
THE primary purpose for which those
companies were organized was to get
possession of that land and mortgage
everything in sight along their lines,
and Incidentally to build a road if it
could not be avoided. Two facts con-
front anyone who investigates this mat
ter, and no amount of explanation can
hide them.
"First-A large amount of land and
money once the property of the perma-
nent school fund has been by the 1egis-
lature and in many other ways taken
from it.
''Second-The constitution plainly says
that this fund shall not be diminished.
Under that constitutional provision
I consider it my duty to leave no stone
unturned to right those wrongs upon
this fund. 1t is not a question of the
worthiness of the beneficiary who has
wrongfully been given what belongs
to the most sacred fund ever entrusted
to a people, but question of justice.
In due time and in a legal manner these
things will be investigated.
"Of about $1,000, 900 of this fund as
now carried on the books of the treasur-
er, the interest upon near if not quite
$1,000,OOO, is in arrears Much of this,
neither interest nor principal, will ever
be paid. Just how much, no one seems
to be able to determine. The law pro-
VideS that the school fund commission
ers shall invest this money and that
the treasurer shall be the custodian So
far as I am able to learn no effort has
ever been made to enforce payment on
any of this defaulting interest or prin-
cipaI, in many instances long past due
Thousands of acres of land from which
a revenue should be derived are il
legally held by those occupying it, be-
cause no penalty for failure to enforce
the law has been imposed upon those
whose duty it is to attend to the sale of
this land. I have prepared a bill pro-
Viding for the sale of this land, and also
Tor the Teasing Oh the unOCcupled school
land, which will, think, correct these
evils and not only bring thousands of
dollars into the school fund, but will
compel many who have been unjustIy
escaping local taxation to bear their
share of that burden. The bill has been
introduced in both houses.
THE heaviest part of the burden in
recovering what has been Illegally
voted away and Is in default, will fall
upon the attorney general, but he is
equal to the emergency and will do his
full duty in the matter"
Against whom suits will be brought
has not been fully determined, but evi-
dence is being accumulated upon which
to establish the proceedings.