The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-06

mittee thought that there should be
an expert employed to do the figuring,
and others argued that the committee
could in few minutes learn to do the
work for itself. 1t was decided, how
ever, that the committee would do bet
ter to hire an expert to help.
Then the question of having the in
vestigation made in secret session was
talked over. One or two of the COM
mitteemen thought that it would be
the best plan for the committee to
formulate its report behind closed
doors, and then demand the repay
ment of any sum found to have been
overcharged- Others thought that the
Capital should have "a representative
present.
IF the Capital has representa-
tive" said Councilman Ryder, "all the
papers should have representatives L
am in favor of opening the doors to
the public. but doing the investigating
ourselves
IF you are going to argue every
point with the Capital representative,
said Councilman Hughes, you will
never get through with the work.
It was agreed finally that the best
way would be to allow anyone to at
tend the meeting. who desires, but to
have the measuring done exclusively
by the committees expert. The COM
mittee will formulate its report on the
findings of its expert, and the Capital
will then be given a chance to object,
if it has any fight to make.
The committee did not take any
formal action on Councilman Ryder's
suggestion that the investigation
should be made to cover all the work
of the claims and accounts committee,
for the purpose of finding some bet
ter way of checking the city's bills.
This matter will probably be taken up
later on.
1.-THE committee appointed by the city
council last evening to investigate the
oVercharges by the Topeka Capital.
and duly authorized to employ an "ex-
F1CT ehn -
titled with the erroneous idea that they
nave some complicated and complexed
problem before them. William Green
of the committee can take a rneasllr-
ing STICK found in any printing office,
Just as a yard stick is found in a dry
goods store, and measure the squares
in printed city ordinance as easily
as he could take a quart measure and
ascertain the number of quarts in
bucket of cranberries. Nothing could
be simpler than the terms of the con-
tract made every year by the city COW
ering its official advertising. 1t speci-
fies plainly 25 cents per square of $50
ems for each and every insertion. EV-
cry printer from the galley boy up to
the foreman knows what a thousand
ems is, and every compOSitor who does
not work by the hour, day or week,
works by the piece, or thousand; 250
ems constituting a square, there must
be four squares in every thousand. AS
the city pays a quarter of a dollar for
each square, or quarter of a thousand,
it pays 81 for each thousand. 1t makes
no particular difference whether the
city's advertising is set in large or
small type, so long as it pays by the
square, but if the city's announce
ments are paid for by the inch, of
course, the larger the type the more
inches there would be. For many years
the city's ordinances, proposals, assess
ment notices, etc, have always been
set in nonpareil, the smallest type used
by Topeka daily newspapers. Before
the Capital secured the city printing
under its present management, and we
had presumed even under it's present
conductors, it was the custom in filing
bills for advertising to specify the num-
Der of squares for each advertisement,
and attach to each monthly bill the
clipping of the advertisement itself. If
this has been done recently, as was the
former custom, it is not at all neces-
sary that 1.-The accounts, books and
files of the Capital be cheerfully placed
at the disposal of your honorable
body" All of the essential details
should be found with the individual
bills themselves. OF course, each
account was duly sworn to as correct
The investigating COMMITTEES appoint
ed last evening is certainly an excel
lent one, and with the additional help
of an expert. should be able to perform
ifS f7t1txr rrtrfrlxIv nd carefully