The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-12
UNDER THE DOME.
Startling Facts Brought Out by
Commissioners johnson.
Nearly All Kansas Mills Adult
terate Their Flour.
OUTPUT OF ONE MILL
Is Confined Almost Wholly to
Supplying
The Necessary Product For the
Authorizations.
OUTPUT OF ONE MILL

cheated out OF what IS que Ihem ~ I'LL
lers.
In the reports from the milIers them
selves appear the following signlhcanr
statement from a Labette county mil
Ter:
Permit me to call your attention, or
rather to notify you that there is no such
thing as a full weight package OF hour
sold in Kansas. A sack weighs gross 90
pounds. The usual package is halt
sack, As pounds gross. quarter sack
weighs %, rarely "A pounds. 1t IS petty
thievery You will find that an invoice
will be made. say 10000 pounds, implying
the use of the hundred weight system
the bill of lading would be $500 pounds
This should be Corrected by the legisla-
ture without any delay; me miller 1IfeI f OF
Most mills are adulterating wheat
Company is almost wholly for that pur-
lie ieeisIation or else the great world
wide reputation of Kansas flour viii be-
come a byword and a stencil. We have
$4,000. coo bushels or more of wheat each
year and it is greatly TO the interest of
flour within the state. Dishonest millers
viii surely ruin this advantage II I'M
The name of the miller who makes these
startling statements is not given; neither
is the name OF the milling company re
ferred TO- Those are things the LABOR
departments keeps to itself
The average weekly wages of millers in
Kansas is given as $1I69 per week, rang
Reports were also received from 80 own
ers of Touring mills located in 80 different
counties. The capital invested is SIS .1,U14
the assessed valuation being $34l 200, 50
that the mill owners pay taxes on but 20
per cent of the capital invested
The total number of hands employed in
the 81 mills reporting is given as 534 and
average wages is 500 per annum. The
total cost of wheat used in 1897 in 90 plants
which reported on that point was S., 1873, 10,
or an average of s94,sS0 per mill
But 81 plants reported on the total flour
mn ia
ing 301, 4S3. S44 pounds or l 5S4 101 barrels of
1i9nr aI-eTa cling 81 loo barrels Der mill
The value of the manufactured product,
aJeTage Of $40 635 per min for the Year
Eleven mill owners report that they ship
a part of their product to foreign cOun-
tries and As sell all their product in KAN
Labor Commissioner Johnson will rec
Ommend that the legislature pass a law to
He said. in speaking of the matter: 1T
is apparent, not only from these reports,
sources, that many millerS are adulterat-
ing -four, and l think the legislature
will go TO store to buy a sack of flour
and he Will not get flour at all No mat
not II y not Whdl ne pays LoT OF wants
to pay for. The millers who want to do
well as the public. If the adulteration of
flour becomes in any way general it will
product. The effect of this would be in
furious TO Kansas flour Something should
TO flour adulteratiOn."
Salary Trouble Arranged.
State Auditor Morris has made a ruling
concerning the payment of salaries which
viii fix things 50 that there viii not be
one or two months at the close of the year
in which employees receive no pay.
There are p or 30 people employed in the
state house whose salaries are larger than
the appropriations. At the end of the
fiscal year the apprOpria ton was exhaust
Cd and they had to go without money
Tor one or two months.
It may be that the friends of the unfor-
tunates who had to loan them money in
spired this new order, which is that the
appropriations for the year must be divid-
ed into twelve equal parts and the clerk
each month
A Remarkable Discovery.
The iron vault in the office Of the
board of railroad commissioners in
which the valuable papers and docu-
ments of the board are stored was Civ
en- an Overhauling Monday afternoon
and the workers found a strange mix
ture of saloon and Sunday school
About the first things discovered were
five large whisky bottles. The armOna
still fingered around the mouths of the
bottles. telling by unmistakable signs
what they once contained. Jim Senter,
secretary of the board put his nose
close to the opening of the first bottle
and then fed and could not be induced
to return and assist in the work Clerk
COyle said it was all because of Sen
Ter ) QlSapp prominent that the bottle
was empty but this was indignantly de-
MED.
Soon after the whisky bottles had
been rescued Miss FOrtney, the stenOg-
rapher, found down in one corner. COW
cred with half an inch of dust, a pile
of Sabbath school hymnals. The books
had not been disturbed for a long time
and there was a great deal of specuIa-
ton about them until some one came in
and said that Charley Elliott had once
been secretary of the board which ex-
planned the mystery. Mr.. Elliott can
get his forgotten song books by calling
at the office of the commissioners. They
have no use for them.
Various articles of clothing were ex-
tracted from hiding places besides num-
erOus books and packages A ianitOr.
dozen loads of trash and then the work
was pronounced complete.
Exhibit For Omaha.
The Kansas commissioners of the
Onaha exposition are making a collec-
IoIl OF Kansas grains to be used in the
agricultural building at the exposition
me gram IS being selected in the cOun-
ties of Mcpherson. Chautau0Ua- SIM
ner, COWley and Edwards IT will con
sist OF about $50 sheaves of wheat and
oats.
Treasurer John E. Frost saws that
preparations are already being made
for the celebI alton of Kansas dav on
September 1 and that an effort will be
made to secure one fare rate from
Kansas for that occasion.
Money Sent Back.
L. w. Kabler, county treasurer of
Kingman county, thought he had the
best Of the state auditor when he re-
ceived a state draft for $50, interest on
the normal school fund, which bore no
revenue stamp. He sent the check
back with a request that a stamp be
affixed and the check returned. W. 2
Hopping replied to the letter and called