The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-09
THEY URGE BAILEY
Pressure to Observation-Disclosures
Delinquent Treasurers.
Believed That Interesting Facts
Would BE Revealed.

There is a disposition on the part
of some people to believe that Cover
nor Bailey ought to do something
about the county treasurers who failed
to send in their state taxes to the state
treasury for six months after they
were due, which is made a felony un-
der the law. The. State Journal ex-
posed this matter some time ago and
discovered seven of these delinquent
county treasurers. 1t is reported that
there are still others.
Only a few of these treasurers have
made statements. SO far as the State
Journal knows, why this money was
held back. Those who have reported
say that it was by arrangement with
| State Treasurer Kelly. 1t may be that
they are innocent of any intentional
wrong doing in the matter, but their
action is made a felony just the same
under the law.
Governor Bailey has been urged to
order legal proceedings brought
against the delinquent county treasur-
ers. Just what he has done in the
matter is not known 1t is argued
that some of the county treasurers, at
least, acted in good faith, and that
Treasurer Kelly, who is said to have
been at the bottom of the arrange
ment, cannot be reached. On the
other hand, it is argued that there was
a plain violation of law, and that if the
county treaSurerS can show that Mr..
Kelly made the arrangement, he can
be punished, bart that is not. certain.
The State Journal found from the
auditors books that seven county
treasurers were delinquent early in
July on the taxes they should have
sent to the state treasury the previous
January. These counties were La
bette, Bourbon, Geary, johnson, Lyon,
n Il
The Lyon county treasurer was the
first to tel why he ns<. hot Femitted.
1t was explained It RE remittance
was not made hectfii e OF an arrange
ment with State Treasurer Kelly by
which the Emporia banks were to car
ry the state warrants sent to the State
Normal during the two or three
months that the state was out of funds
and was not to charge the state in
terest on them. The State Journal
showed that the state paid interest on
those warrants. and then an explana-
ton was made that the banks did not
discount the state warrants in consid-
Grafton of leaving the states money on
deposit in their banks for six months.
This is undoubtedly the way most
of the Emporia people who knew of
the arrangement understood it, but the
fact remains that some of those war
rants were not deposited until some
time after they were issued, and then
they went through an EmDoria bank
and then to Topeka bank, but they
were stamped mot paid for want of
funds and the stamp was dated the
day after the date of issue. and the
state paid interest on them from that
date.
All of these county treasurers re-
mitted after July 1, and about the time
or soon after the State Journal pub
lished the facts about the delinquency.
Lyon county had nearly $4,000 of
state taxes on hand last January;
Geary county had nearly $4,000;
Bourbon county had over $4,000;
johnson county had about $4,000;
Smith county had nearly 1900;
Miami county had nearly $4,000. La
bette county did not show any state
money in it's January statement, and a
clerk in the county treasurerS office
claimed the books showed the money
had been remitted, but it did not reach
the state treasury until July.