The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-18
TAYLOR Was sly.
How He Had State Normal Bill
Fixed.
Clause Giving Right to Charge
Incidental Fee Inserted.
Had CAUSED TROUBLE.
Auditor Cole Asked to Have
Money Paid Into Treasury.
President Resented Interference
and Now Cole Is Checkmated.


The Emporia Normal school has legal
right to go on charging incidental fees
for the next two years, and probably
is collecting them from those in the aca-
demic department and those not taking
full courses of study. This custom has
been long in vogue, but just before the
legislature met last winter there was
a big fuss made about it.
Through a neat bit of lobbying the
privilege has been secured for the
school, and till now no one has been
the wiser. Ex-President Taylor is
credited with turning the trick, and it
might be said to have been a parting
shot aimed by him at state officers who
had made the worthy schoolman more
or less trouble.
A roar went up last December about
state institutions charging fees of va
rious kinds and not turning the paitry
revenues so collected into the state
treasury. One of the Offenders was the
Normal school. With it the fee which
figured in the controversy was the m
cidental fee of So a term charged all
students. During the year 1900 TINS zee
yielded to the treasury of the school
$1,000 and it is understood that It was
applied to a fund to purchase DOCKS,
magazines and other needed supplies
for the library that could not oCherW1se
have been reached with the regular ap-
preparation.
There was no limitations that the
money thus collected had been mlsap.-
prOpriated in any vicious sense, put II
was held that in the absence OF Sralu-
tory provisions all moneys from any
source not specifically appropriated
should be turned into the state treas
ury general revenue fund. Outside col
lactions at any of the schools IN the
state or other institutions would not
be a drop in the bucket to the state
treasury in such a plight as 1t stands
today, for instance, when it IS a fnatter
of a few days only until warrants VIII
have to be stamped mot paid for want
President Taylor resented Auditor
Coles interference in the coIectlon OF
this long established fee as an infringe
ment upon the free action of himself
and the Normal regents. Iney held
that a legislature is not always wise
enough or careful enough TO TAKE ~
work of governing the school out OF the
hands of the regents 1t gives the
school certain sums OF money ana TIE
income from the Normal bonds II
should not withhold the rlght 70 coz
| lect small library fees, as nearly all pri-
! vate schOls do, for mere matters Oh
| sustenanee and when such collections
are made to class them as earnings to De
| turned over to the state
Auditor Cole lntrenched n1nSelI De
/ hind the position that where state IN
/ stitution has no statutory grounds TO
| collect fees, such fees are not to pc col
4 lacted. Since they nad DeeI COAAStASN,
| and there was no statutory proVlsi on
| for their disbursement, they OF right
| should be turned into the state treas
ury -.
President Taylor hated to see these
| Incidental fees go into the state treas
/ ury because it is little drop swat
4 lowed up in the enormous NAV OF the
general revenue fund. If SUCH pay
! nents were credited to the institution
instead of going into the revenue Iunu'
/ institution officers would be saved these
/ hard feelings. It is not to be determ-
ined here Whether OF not the science
| of economic government would suher'
| however.
But last winter President Taylor
! slipped q little phrase into the Norman
school appropriation bill that mas oo+
Iviated this difficulty for two years. at
! least There is no balk made on the
matter of paying the incidental fee col
| lectionS over to the state treasurer, Dut
| the proviso is also inserted that such
1 payments shall be returned to the Nor
| NAL school as a part OF lts appfopAia
ton for general uses -,
The enacting clause reads: That all
! money paid into the state treasury GUT CUT
ing the fiscal years ending June 50, 1yoz,
| and June 80, 1903, received as 1hteFese
| on outstanding land contracts ana
| from investments and proceeds from
| the sales thereof as a permanent FUND
1 for the Kansas State Normal school,
and all money received from the treas
| urer of the board of regents OF sald
school received by him for fees and all
other accounts. is hereby appropriated
/ for the maintenance and support OF the
/ said State Normal school
| Tt was a parting shot from President
| Taylor alone, for none OF the othef m
situations are in on the deal. Their ap-
| nropriation bills have no saving clauses
| to secure the return to their credit or
| any small earnings