The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-09
HERE'SASCANDAL
Kansas National Guard lis in a
Turmoil.
Uncle Sam Refuses to Furnish
More Supplies.
HUGHES rs WORRIED.
Unable to Straighten Out the
Tangle.
Captain Banks of Topeka Com
pany Involved.
HUGHES is WORRIED.

On account of alleged gross careless
ness in the accounting and dfsbursing
department of the Kansas National
Guard during the past three years, the
United States government has notified
Governor Hoch that it will issue no
more government supplies to the state
militia until past Irregularities are
Strengthened ups
AS Adjutant General J. W. F. Hughes
and the Quartermaster general. W. W
Denison, have been unable to obtain
from the records Of the department
which were left by the outgoing Off
Gals the information demanded bv the
government, it has been arranged that
Quartermaster General Denison shall
visit each company headquarters of the
Kansas National Guard throughout the
state, and check up all the property on
4eno. II is stated that this is the only
way by which the lack of information
concerning supplies on hand can be sup
piled.
It is not charged by the present Off
GERS Of the department that there has
been any dishonesty on the part of their
predecessors They simply say that
there is no data on hand to show the
&rue status of affairs. Adtutant Cen
eral Hughes said today:
am confident that the former ad-
ninistration Of the department will be
pshoiIy eIonerated. I think that we can
4ocate all the supplies which are sun
posed to be in the hands of the Kansas
4aJlonal Guard, and make a satfsfac-
tory showing to the government Tt
SssIas mat the difficulty is due to the
Failure Of the former quartermaster
general, Mr. Smith, to make his settle
ments with the government properIv
Consequently there is a good deal Of
material which is unaccOunted for on
Sne DOCKS. Much of this has no doubt
Deen consumed in the service and we
viii simply have to procure affidavits
70 show that the material has been con
sumed. This would apply to feed for
horses, ammunition, etc. We are now
engaged in checking up the reports fled
by the captains Of the various com
panies, and see whether they throw anv
light on the situation
EVERY time the government sends to
the state consignment of supplies it
accompanies the consignment with an
invoice These invoices are all on file
and the records should show Just what
has become Of all this material This
1s the part of the records which is
AacIng. the present officers of the de-
partment have no basis from which to
work, owing to the fact that there is
noth1ng of record to show what has he
come of this material, except the re-
ports which the captains of the com
panies are required to file at regular
-nteIVals- The government wants a
settlement for all this material
That the government regards the sit
uation as rather serious is indicated bv
the extreme measures which it has ia
ken to bring the department to time. If
II should shut down on anv further
supplies for the Kansas National Guard
the work of perfecting that organiza-
non which is now in progress would be
blocked.
Captain Was DereIict.
IN connection with the Investigation
OF the work of the old department Off
elals, AdJutant General Hughes is look
ing up the records of e. E Banks.
captain of the Topeka company of the
kansas National Guard, who went to
Montana some time ago leaving his az
counts IN bad shape. It is believed that
When this Investigation is cOnDIate6 IL
Will show that Captain Banks was NOT
guilty of any dishonesty. but that he
Qid not handle the business affairs If
his Office with great care
we nave round" says General
Hughes, that Captain Banks made err
Eors against himself in his bookkeen-
ing. In one case there was q Tnista j1e
an MS books which showed that he was
4IaoIe Tor $40 more than he really was.
mere nave been mistakes both ways.
4t mas also developed that clothing and
equipment was issued without taking
proper receipts for the same, and that
members OF the company were allowed
20 move away from town and take their
equipment with them. BY correspon-
uence we have been able to recover a
number OF complete outfits which were
" lne possession of members of the
TOPEKA company who had moved away
from town. L do not believe that Can
Ealn Banks was guilty Of any atternnt
70 do wrong, but that he was sir9rIy
not careful enough with his business
affairs"
Captain Banks has offered to send IL
mis- resignation, but it has not vet beer
called for by the department
II would seem that there has been 2
great deal of carelessness in bandfinf
the business of the Kansas Nattona
Guard and that these sIip-stod bllsi
ness methods have prevailed from tn,
mead Office down into the ranks of tn,
guard.
1t is understood that during the lat
ter part Of General Kelsey's admins
tratlon as adjutant general, the best o
1eellng did not prevail between him
ser and Quartermaster General Smith
RMS lack OF harmony in the depart
ment may have had something to d,
with the failure of the Department f,
keep its records up in good shane
When Quartermaster General Sn1itl
left the Office, he did not turn over am
invoice OF the goods to Quartermaste
General DeniSOn. He did not aDnpa
on the scene to assist in making up tn
inventory, and apparently did not con
slider it necessary to take a receipt 70
the immense quantities of supple