The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-12
Mr. HOCH land COT.
He Drew $75 Extra While a
Member of House.

Speaker Pringle has been made the
| subject of great persecution by the OPP
ponents of Governor Bailey because the
legislature last winter gave him the
| chair and couch which he had used in
his Office as speaker during the ses-
sion, and the couch was designated in
the resolution cot" Those who
know Speaker Pringle do not believe
that he had anything to do with
the resolution, and the fact is that he
knew nothing about it until the chair
and couch were shipped to him after
the legislature was over.
The last legislature did not set the
precedent for giving away the states
property, however. In the legislature
of 1893, when z. w. Hoch was speaker
pro tenn at the close of the session the
| legislature gave Mr.. Hoch $75 out of
the state treasury.
Nobody will contend for a moment
that there was anything dishonest
about Mr.. Hoch receiving this money,
for Mr.. Hoch is an honorable man, al
though the payment of the money was
in violation of the constitution TIRE
is a constitutional provision which says
no member of the legislature shall re-
eeive more than $3.50 for any regular
session, in addition to his mileage, but
Mr.. Hoch drew 1925.
Mr. Hoch's voucher shows that on
March IL, 1908, at the close of the leg
islature he made out voucher Tor
'allowed by resolution '$I5, and the
warrant register shows that he re-
ceiVed the warrant for that amount
| The voucher is faulty. for the reason
| that drawing money by resolution IS
prohibited by the constitution, and be
| sides there is no resolution OF the kihd
| in the house records of that session
| The item was passed by inserting 1t IN
| the miscellaneous appropriation Dill.
| If the state auditor, Van b Prather,
Populist, had seen fit he could prop
| ably have held up the item on the
ground that it was contrary to the con-
| stitution. but he did not do So
| The last legislature, instead of CIV
ing it's officers and employees money 11l;g
out of the state treasury, made them
presents of the desks and chairs they
! had used. The speaker pro tenn, Col.
c. D. Jones, was given chair Ihe
senate attempted to give some OF It's
employees extra allowances, but the
house would not stand for it. This
would have been constitutional, but 1t
would not have been constitutional TO
vote an extra allowance to a MEMBER
out of the state treasury. In fact. the
practice of even making presents of the
states chairs is wrong, and there is
considerable question about its validity,
but it is generally done by both houses
at every session.
The last legislature too, did not set
the precedent of dating back the time or
service of employees to cover the entire
session. although serving only part of
it. This is another wrong practice I'M
| less the work is actually performed
The boss busters have been making
great fuss because in the last house the
employees were paid from the first day,
although not appointed until the legisla-
ture got down to business.
In 1898 Mr.. Hoch's son, Homer, was
speakers page. He was not appointed
until January 3d. but he drew pay from
the beginning of the session, January
TO- Nor did he stop with the fifty day
limit Instead he drew pay for 81 days
at 50 day.
There was, of course. nothing wrong
in this further than that the general
practice is wrong. but it shows the in
Justice of the fight that has been made
on Pringle and the insincerity of the
boss busters in some of their allegations.