The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-17
COST is SIO9,OOO
What Legislature Spent ssfor
Legislative Purposes"
Expense About $4,000 More
Than the Average.
EMPLOYEES ROLL.
House Expended Over $3S, 900
in Salaries.
Senate Bill for This Purpose
Was Nearly $4,000.

Was Nearly $50 200.
The appropriations Of the recent leg
islature for legislative purposes ag-
gregated S11000O and this sum was all
used up except about 1000. 1t went for
salaries of members and employees. for
mileage, and a few miscellaneous items,
btu did not include the printing bill nor
the items in the miscellaneous appro-
priations bill. which would bring the
total up to a much larger sum.
The S109, 200 which this legislature cost
in per diem, mileage and a few miscel-
laneous items Is said to have been about
$751; 600 in excess of the cost of the aver
age legislature. It might have been cut
down $4,000 by looping OF the useless
employees. and still the legislature would
have got just as much work done.
The per diem Of the members Of both
houses amounted to s24.750, and the
mileage ate up several thousand more.
The postage of the members was s.. 800.
The per diem of the 230 house en-
ployes amounted to Ss4.5OO for the regu-
lar session of $50 days. Then about 100
of them were let out and 13o kept on the
pay roll for ten days longer. adding
50 800 to the amount
The per diem of the $50 senate en-
4 plUyec amounted 4z4tvUu IOE LnE u
/ lar session of $50 days. and they all
continued to the end. ten days longer
( adding 81 800 to the amount.
A large number of these clerks did
nothing whatever but draw their pay,
while others earned more than three
] dollars a day and ought to have had
more. In this class were the reading
( clerks and the journal clerks who had
TO work night and day.
The senate had four employees per
member and the house about. 2-3 per
member Both houses could have dis
+ penSed with tvo-tf birds or fhree-fourtrs
i of them and got along as we'll or bef-
/ ter. Forty thousand dollars could have
i been easily saved by abolishing the use
less employees.
Represe entative Jones. of Norton. the
speaker pro tenn, ACQUIRED record
which fc= members can boast Of He
answered every roll call and voted on
every measure There is an example
for the members who used I'd break for
8 the cloak room whenever they sighted
a measure they did not wish to 90 on
record on Colonel Jones was in Toneka
last evening on his way home. After
the legislature adjourned he went down
to Pittsburg to visit his brother
Lieutenant Governor Hanna has gone
home to Hill City to look after his in
terests there, which he has been neglect
ing since the legislatuTef opened This
is his first trip home since his inaugura-
ton He viii be there about two weeks
and then viii go down to Great Bend
to look on at the Seventh district scraz.
It viii be only a few weeks before the
state board Of railroad assessors, OF
which the lieutenant governor is chair
man, will have to begin its biennial
travels over all the lines of galway in
the state.
NJ. L. Hare. Of Glasco. was a candi-
date for a place on the state board OF
charities and corrections. but Governor
Bailey did not see fit TO give him the
job However. Mr.. Hare wants it un-
derstood that he is just as much Of
Bailey man as ever. 4 have no sores
TO neal,'' he said. My epidernais is per
fectly sound and unbroken. I can rec
agnize the fact tn this is a large stats
and there are many interests TO har-
monize, and if Governor Bailey can do
this in the best interests of the people
ana the strengthening of the Repub-
lican party. I will not only get out OF
ms Wa@T but I viii assist him all can
When kick you can rest assured there
IS something real to kick about"
Some of Harry McAIillan's Democratic
friends are holding him responsible for the
new railroad law which deprives the Dem
eetaIs OF representation on the state board
OF railroad commissioners-unles they can
carry a state election. Senator Mcmillan
defends himself by contending that it IL
right that the people should elect the COM
missioners, even if the Democrats are de-
prived Of commissioner thereby. Ia
speaking of the matter he said.
In my estimation the greatest problem,
greater than the tax problem or any othes
before the people of Kansas at this time.
is the proper regulation and control OF the
railroads As see it. there is very little
+ check on the railroads in the state at tha
, present time. The railroad law passed two
years ago in many respects is very good
law. but. like all other laws its efficiency
depends largely upon the power behind it,
The present members of the board of rail
road commissioners are courteous sbls
gentlemen. who have probably done as
, well as any board could under the circurn-
stances. but the manner Of their selection
dispaTages their efforts before the people
and really limits their power for good. The
people. irrespective Of party, have aIWa rs
favored their election by a direct vote og
} the people. the same as other state onf-
GERS, making them amenable for their con-
duct to the people. and to the people
. alone
THE bill originally introduced by me
gave minority representation. I think that
was right. but in Difference to the universal
demand of the milling. the live stock and
the wholesale and agricultural interests Of
the state. ana especially Of my district I
3 supported actively the bill as passed max
ing it a strictly partisan board.
Personally, I believe a strictly elective
board is at all times preferable to an an
pOintive one and I am not altogether sure
that the party in power. while enjoyinc
= tire eunoluments Of office should not he
held responsible for the proper enforcement
of railroad legislation in all its power and
t vigor-
= will say to my Democratic friends
that if I can read the signs Alright this
, viii not be a Republican board
rIEWElRNn mn Tnup