The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-11
STANTON SALARYPENDING.
He May Be Serving as Architect
Without Paw.

w 1bnOub ray
John F. Stanton, state house archi-
tect, may be serving the state at pres
ent without pay 1t is claimed that the
$1,000 appropriated for salary is payable
only to the man who holds the title of
state architect" while the executive
Stanton to anything except the office
of state house architect"
The fiscal year of the state ends June
81, so the July salary will be the first to
ask an opinion from the attorney gen
eral before he allows Mr.. Stanton's pay
for the month of July
If 1t is held that the $500 can be paid
as salary only to the state architect"
it means simply that the office now held
by Mr.. Stanton will be abolished.
Inc trouble came up through the &C
ton of the last winters legislature in
failing to pass the bill providing for the
appointment of a state architect. This
bill was introduced in the house by
Cyrus Leland. 1t provided that the
governor should have the power to ap-
point state architect, and that the
business of the state architect should
be to prepare the plans for all buildings
erected by the state. He would keep on
file al the state house, under that pro-
posed law, all the blue prints and speci-
ncauons for state buildings 1t was
very good law. altogether, and calcu-
lated to save the state a lot of money.
But when the bin was sent over TO the
senate, it did not last long. Anything
that Cyrus Leland wanted done, the
senate was inclined to resist. The SEN
ators objected to having the governor
appoint the state architect. They want
ed it left in the hands of the executive
council. Some of the other senators had
friends among the architects of the state
to look after, and they opposed the bill
because it would take all the state work
out of the hands of private architects
and place 1t in the hands of the state
architect. So the senate defeated the
proposed law.
" hen the appropriation bill was pre-
sented and passed it contained an item
of 81, 500 as salary for the state archi-
tect-" 1t is claimed that this item was
inserted at the time the state architect
bill was pending, with the idea that the
nature and title of the office were to be
changed. There was no provision in the
appropriation bill for any salary for the
state house architect"
The executive council had the right,
in view of the failure of the state archi
tect bill to pass, to appoint a state
house architect whose business would
be limited to work at the state house.
But it turns out that there is no pay
available for state house architect"
AS a matter of fact there is nothing
for state house architect to do. The
state house is completed, and the state
house architect, If there was such an
official, would be Sinecure. What
ever he might do would be simply in
repairing and reconstructing certain in
terror details of the building. It seems
hardly necessary for the state to en-
pIoy a 81. 500 official to attend to this
work, besides going to the expense of
maintaining an office and office force
for the state house architect.
The executive council has exercised
its right and has appointed Mr.. STAN
ton. On the door of Mr. Stanton's office
at the state house is the sign state
Architect" but there seems 90 be no
authority for such an office. because
the state architect bill was defeated by
the senate.