The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-22
WIPES OUT FIVE.
House Slashes the State Depart
ment Appropriations.
Allow Only Those Provided for
by Statute.
COBURNI is ONE OF THEM
No Appropriation for Switchboard
of Agriculture.
Horticultural Society Is Also on
the List.
VERY FEW ESCAPE.
Nearly Every Department Win
Lose One or More Clerks.
Appropriation Measure Goes
Back for Revision.
Legislators Determined on Re-
trenchment With Big r.
Horticultural Society Is Also on
the List.
Nearly Every Department Win
Lose One or More Clerks.
Appropriation Measure Goes
Back for Revision.
Legislators Determined on Re-
trenchment With Big R.

Reform and retrenchment TO such an
abnormal extent that FIVE state depart
ments were wiped out of existence and
a hundred employees at the state house
left out in the cold was the sensational
programme in the house of representa-
tives on Tuesday afternoon.
A big fight was sprung on the appro-
priation bill for the executive and ju-
dicial departments of the state. and the
house adopted the plan of sending the
bill back to the ways and means COM
mittee with instructions to cut out ev-
cry item not provided for in the sta
tutes
Under instructions from the house.
the ways and means committee this
morning introduced a new carrying ap-
preparation exactly according to sta
tute. Less than a third of the state
house people are provided for by this
system It was read second and third
time and made subject to amendment
and debate.
w. P. Hackney. who made the fight
on the bill Tuesday afternoon, said to-
day:
1t is the plan to have the committee
on state affairs draw up a bill making
the state needs. and which are not pro-
Vided for by the statutes"
How viii ii be about the employees at
the state institutions o.
They viii have to go in as a lump
sum, I suppose, though they really
ought to be separated, and every posi-
tion given a specific salary We haven't t
time to do that now. We will have to
leave it to the boards and regents"
As the statutes have not been revised
for about % years. the ma jority of the
employees of the state have simply been
employed because they were needed,
nj al TpH in, he
appropriation bill. The attorney gen
eral has held that money thus appro-
priated could be legally paid out by the
state. and past legislatures have never
taken pains to revise the statutes to
match the appropria ton bill.
In the statutes there is no provision
Tor any pay whatever in any of the
following departments, and unless the
necessary laws are passed in a great
rush these departments viii have to
shut up and go out of business:
State board of agriculture.
State board of horticulture.
Kansas academy of science.
State Historical society.
Kansas travelling libraries commits
sion
In the way things stand now. all the
appropriations for postage. express, tel
egraph, travelling expenses, ice, station
cry and all such incidentals are wiped
off the slate There is no law for them
All of the janitors, firemen, engineers.
state house are not provided for. The
only one left is the custodian of the
state house
All of the special appropria tions. such
as the ones for carrying on the Colorado
litigation. for rebuilding the state house
steps, for repairing the executive man
sion, and fixing up the state house
drives, are in the same category.
The following people who are now on
the pay rolls are cut off, besides all of
the employees in the departments which
are not provided for at ALL
From governors office. one
From secretary of state. five.
From auditor of state. four
From treasurer of state. five.
From attorney general, three
From superintendent of instruction,
three.
From superintendent of insurance
two
From adjutant general. three.
From executive council. thirty-fve.
From supreme court, eighteen.
From bank commissioner. one.
From state library. four
From nine industries. deputies.
The following departments are entire
y wiped out of existence
ployes.
Kansas Academy of Science. one en-
State board of agriculture. five en-
ployes.
Travelling libraries commission. two
employees.
OF course it is absurd to suppose
that the appropriation bill will go
through In its present shattered CON
ditton- The house will have to pet
busy and fix up the necessary laws to
authorize the payments of the money.
in case II stands pat in its present
position The senate seems to have
more political sense than the house
and it would not allow the house 10 tic
things uD in such shape.
The fight on the appropriation bf1l
started when the reading of the hill
for final passage had progressed as
far as the department of the STATE
bank commissioner. The stafsYfae
give the bank commissioner three
deputies at $1,000 a year The depart
ment has found that good men csn
not be obtained for that price. ana
they have been paying $500. wirh-
out making any change in the stat
utes- w P Hackney attacked the an
preparation on the ground that it does
not conform to the statute and was
backed uD in his fight by P. c. Young
A w Benson w B. Ham and others
Mr.. Creech. chairman of the Na5rS
and means committee. said; II AXE
II for granted that these are chm