Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-09

| get the warrant back, with this inscription
across the back of it:
Not paid for the want of funds
I'D. ii. HEFFLEBOWER
State Treasurer"
| The warrant will then begin drawing Z
| per cent interest. In this year of great
| prosperity in Kansas, when people have
money to burn and banks have refused to
| accept deposits, the state finds itself bank
| rupt and its officers are forced to suspend
| the payment of outstanding obligations for
want of funds. This Is a most remarkable
| situation, but 1t only goes TO show that
nothing is impossible when Populists are
| in control of things. The present financial
| condition of the state is causing the Popu-
lists much uneasiness, and they are working
night and day trying to hatch up some ex-
cuse to make when the collapse does come.
Il see no possible way to stem the tide"
said Assistant State Treasurer Williams to
The Journal correspondent to-day. I'VE
will certainly have to stand off the creditors
one month and probably two. We will sim
ply mark across the back of the warrants:
Not paid for want of funds register the
warrants and let them draw interest until
We get some money in to pay them. Yes
terday we had on hand about 500 900 in the
general fund. The state board of charities
| will come in tomorrow and draw out be-
tween Sou,UVV anu Sfu,VUu 10 meet laSG mOAth s
bills. Other claims will come in, so that
the general fund will not have over s15. 600
in it on November l. Then the October
bills will begin rolling in, and we simply
won't have the money to pay them. The
monthly expense of running the state
| amounts to about $4,000. Sometimes it
reaches $4,000. The receipts for the next
| two months will be very small We should
begin getting in tax money in December,
| but the chances are that the money will not
roll in much until January. 1t is barely
possible that we will get enough in in De-
| cember to meet one months expenses but
| it is doubtful. If we don't. We will have
| to stand the creditors off for two months"
| Mr.. Williams says the Populst legislature
| is to blame. THE expense of the state
| keeps on increasing as the state grows
| older" said he, while the assessed valu-
alton has been decreased. The tax levy as
| fixed by the legislature has been allowed
| to remain the same. The candle, therefore
| is burning at both ends. A few years ago
| the treasury had on hands $4,000. That
| has disappeared gradually until to-day we
! only have $4,000. Last year we paid out
| $239.0 600 more than we received in the gen.
| eral fund. The legislature last winter not
| only did not raise the tax levy to meet pres
| ent conditions. but passed law compell-
| ing the treasurer to take $4,000 out of the
| general fund to take UP outstanding bonds
| The legislature did not make any calcula-
tions as to the needs of the state, and as
! result we will be forced to suspend pay
| ment until the tax money comes in again.
| We have money in other funds, but the law
| strictly prohibits us from using 1t to pay
| debts against another fund"
The state treasurer is in no way to blame
| for this condition of affairs. The PopuIist
legislature. coached by Populist fixers, is
responsible. The treasurer to-day is en-
gagged in a law suit trying to stop deal
whereby other Populist officials are at
tempting to saddle lot of question: BILE
| bonds on to the state school fund In the
| supreme court he is trying to show that
| the school fund commissioners have pur-
| chased some practically worthless Graham
! county bonds at par in direct viola ton of
| the state law. He refused to pay for the
| bonds and is attempting to justify his ac-
| tion in the supreme court in the mandam-
| us proceedings filed against him to compel
| him to pay for the bonds. Just such work
as this is what has brought the state to
| bankruptcy. The Populist legislature last
winter appropriated thousands of dollars to
| reimburse Populist officials who were con-
| victed by the Morrill, administration for
crookedness. and were discharged. House.
| holder. Wait. Chase and Rogers, who were
| discharged after being convicted by an
| HiNeStISdtlHS SOHIulltlte, lOBelueE WITH dll
! their witnesses, were paid Of. Some of
these bills were outrageous steals The
| only Populist official who won and was not
| discharged was John w. Bredenthal state
| bank commissioner. In this instance he
| was probably entitled to be reimbursed for
money expended, but the PopuIist legisla-
/ ture threw out his claim. Probably he
would not promise to divide Then the
legislature recklessly appropriated money
IN lnt of fbn it,H iaI Dow
ulist legislators go to Texas on junketing
trip. 1t paid the Hamilton Printing Com
pany S3,2O0 and Evans & Cox, S5091, which
claims the Republican legislature two years
| before turned down because they savored
| of steals.
The sum of S1.100 was spent in the famous
bribery investigation, which resulted in ad-
ditional proof being secured, through Pops
| witnesses. that the great majority of the
Pop legislators had their price and many
of them got 1t. Appropriations for scores
of claims for smaller amounts which the
state had no right to pay whatever were
| also made. All of these were piled upon
! the state treasurer, and his general fund
melted like chunk of butter in hot fry
ing pan. While appropriations were being
made for these steals no provision was
made to help the state treasurer out of the
hole, and as result the state treasury has
gone IOpOcrdIlc.
Some of the leading Popuist members
were warned of this matter, but they did
not have the manhood to stand up and
| face the situation. They would not raise
| the tax levy for fear it would hurt them
politically. and hoped that the treasurer
could pull through in some way. But the
thing has come out just as was anticipated,
and the people of Kansas will soon witness
the sad spectacle of creditors of this pros
porous state having It's warrants around
on the streets.
Had it not been for ex-senator Fl. 3.
Kelly the crisis would have been reached
| before this. He prevented the passage of
II law appropriating sl5O.0OO more out of the
general fund to take up bonds, and sue
ceeeded In getting the legislature to refund
the bonds Through his success in head
ing off that move the treasury will not be
forced to go Popocratic until Just one year
after Kansas went Popocratic.
The administration had it's most expert
accountants at work trying to figure a
way OUT The Populist campaign book
soon to be issued will also endeavOr to ex-
plain. by long array of figures, the pc
culiar situation which makes such extraor-
dinary steps necessary.