Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-21
FORMALLY NOTIFIED THAT HE
MUST OBEY THE LAW.
AUDITOR MORRIS AFTER HIM.
sDMONISHED TO FILE MONTHLY
REPORTS HEREAFTER.
Republican Coal Oil Inspector Did 1t
and Mr.. Morris Sees No Reason
Why a ..Reformer' Should
DO Less-Knnsns News
and Gossip.

Topeka. Kas., Nov. 2a-tSpecial.1 State
Auditor Morris to-day sent another letter
TO d.. E. V. Wharton, state coal Oil IN
spector. demanding that ne Tile a report
each month showing the receipts and DIS
bursements of his department. While the
auditor wrote In a diguiiied manner. yet
the letter is exceedingly warm. and is cal
oulsteE to notify the inspector that If hr
fails 10 comply with the request he may
get into trouble. DR. Wharton is plainlS
told that in order to be a law-ab.d:nS
official he should make haste to file the
reports required by law: that il is a duty
he owes his party as We'll as the people
of the state. The letter follows:
Dear Sir:-I desire 10 again call your
attention TO the propriety and importance
OF making monthly reports TO TITS Office OF
the receipts and disbursements of the state
oil inspector. / understand your conteiition
TO be that under the law you are only re-
Quired 10 report in January of each year-
1t is true the law requires you TO make a
report 10 the governor in January, but
there is no statute requiring YOU 10 make
any report TO the state auditor in Jaru-
airy
Now. what do you Report TO the GOV
ernor: Not your receipts and disburse-
ments. You report 10 him the inspections
made by yourself and deputies during the
previous year. See section 3952. general
statutes, 1889. Section 1858 of the general
statutes provides for the salary OF your
self and each deputy to be paid monthly,
together with necessary expenses. At the
beginning of each month you AVE in your
hands all the money collected as fees for
the preceding month and after paying
yourself and deputies whatever remains is
the property of the state and should be
turned into the treasury. This section. of
the statutes also requires that the state
inspector shall render to the auditor a de-
tailed account of all receipts and disburse-
mentc of his office. l am aware that This
particular section does not in terms re.
quire monthly reports, neither does il mean
annual, or January reports; but IL you
are In doubt as to whether it means month";
ly or annually 1 think section 6GS3 Of the
genera. statutes Of 1859 settles the question
beyond any controversy. and / call your
attention to II and invite a careful con-
SECRETION of the same. Unless there is
some statute exempting you from the re-
quIrements of this section you should. in
order to be a law-abiding official, make
haste to comply with its provisions.
you say you have made certain deposits
with the state treasurer. The law requires
that when you pay money to the state
treasurer you shall take duplicate receipts
and file one with the state auditor. together
with your sworn statement setting forth
the source from which said money was re-
eeived. You also say that you will make
this Office a detailed statement of your re-
ceipts and disbursements in January. 7
DO not require a January statement. 1
know of no law authorizing such a return.
Your January return is to the governor of
the state. and may embody any matter
of general interest. All heads of the state
institutions and departments make annual
reports to the governor of the operation and
conduct of their offices, to the end that he
may be advised of the general affairs of the
state. At the same time, all those officers
who in any way receive or disburse public
section 66SS.
The question is. Do you receive and dis
purse public money? If so. then you are re-
Gu,rea TO report the same on or before the
10Th day OF each month.
But outside of any question of law arises
a question of public policy. or. if you
formers. Let us dc a little OF it. Neither
your predecessors nor tine kansas public
take very much pride In the way the oil
inspector.s office has been run in times past.
-FOUR Immediate predecessor established a
precedent of making monthly returns to the
state auditors office: In doing SO he obeyed
me law and satisfied the people. In conclu-
sion, let me say that ] have no doubt but
what in the end you will account for every
dollar mat comes into your hands, and he
assured that il is only n sense of duty that
induces me TO thus urge upon your atten-
ton what / conceive to be the law as we'll
as party requirement. "
State Auditor Morris expected DIR wbar-
ton to pay him a visit the other day when he
was In town and talk over the matter. but
the state Inspector failed TO appear. He
came IN and had a conference with, Govern
or Leedy and other state officials. but pur-
posely avoided the auditors office HI, IS
thouSht- Before going. Wharton is said TO
nave remarked that Leedy would STAY with
MN, and that he would not comply with
the law or the request of the auditor. to file
monthly reports. Auditor Morris is a man
who means what he says, and if monthly
reports of the oil inspection department do
moi make their appearance shortly some
rlcn developments can be expected. The
auditor is determined not TO be trined with