The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-29
SCALING IT DOWN
Decisive Steps in Retrenchmen
Are Taken.
Board Of Health Must Practice
Economy.
CUT OFF MEDICINES.
Employees of the City Must Buy
Their Own.
Old Method of Haphazard Buy
ing Abandoned.
I OFF MEDICINES.

first meeting of the new committee
appointed by Mayor Davis. The fol-
lowing resolutions relating to claims
and accounts were adopted by the
committee:
Resolved, That the city physician
shall only contract expense for fumi-
cation, medicines and groceries for
people who are under quarantine for
contagious diseases and who are I'M
able financially to pay for that expense;
and that the city physician shall only
furnish surgical dressings to members
of the police and fire departments for
injuries which have been sustained in
the direct discharge of duty.
Resolved, That the city physician
shall not engage the services of a
deputy or special guards except upon
the authority of the mayor and that
the conditions requiring the additional
services must be attached to the re-
quest
Resolved. That all bills for sup
plies purchased for the city must be
accompanied by the acquisitions when
presented to the claims and accounts
committee for auditing.
Resolved, That the city council will
no longer allow witness fees for en-
ployes Of the city in cases where the
city is an interested party and where
the costs of the cases are assessed up
against the city"
Between City Physician Hogeboom
and the claims and accounts commit
tee it is evident that the city health
department Will be run upon lines
that approach a system of economy.
The extravaga nce of that department
for the past two years was one of the
sore spots in the former administra-
ton For the past year the eXpendi-
lures approached $4,000. Most of
this was contracted in supplying pa
tients in quarantine with groceries,
clothing, and every conceivable article.
The city was even paying the tobacco
bills of some of the patients. In one
OF the bills presented from the health
department and audited Friday after
noon the item of tobacco appears.
Any old thing which the patient de-
sired was purchased by the guards
passed the hands of the former
claims and accounts committee. THE
guards bought anything, just to get a
stand-in with the people" said Coun-
Gilman Ryder, member of the claims
and accounts committee.
The bill for medicines furnished by
the city has been running all the way
from $3.50 to $3.50. The city has been
furnishing the firemen and policemen
of the city with liver pills, cough
syrup at 1925 d bottle, Cuticura soap,
together with prescription after pre-
scription. why, this is ridiculous
said Mayor Davis. IF we are to fur
nish medicine free of charge to those
officers should come in under the list.
It is all right where it is a matter of
injury in the discharge of duty, but I
am not in favor of furnishing medi-
cine for the entire families of these
men"
If the city council passes the reso-
luton, and it is likely to do so, moth
ing more than the writing out of a
prescription will be furnished the
members of the police and fire depart
7f0s77 tn he
purchased privately. It is expected
that the bills will be reduced some
$50 per month by following this pro-
cedure. The old method of purchas-
ing supplies by the heads of the de-
partments without consulting the
mayor and receiving a requisition has
received a rebuke. Nothing but
requisiti0n from the mayor showing
authority for the purchase will here
after go. The city has been following
the bad custom of buying its supplies
in small lots and paying good price
instead of letting a contract and secur-
ing the low est possible prices 1t has
been paving for some of its letter.
heads at the rate of 81 per thousand,
just twice what it ought to pay. When
ever a head of a department has run
short on Office supplies he has been
compelled to make an emergency
purchase. The mayor with but few
exceptions fails to give the authority
and the price paid is high.
Of6cers Whalen, Dusenberry and
Younkin of the police force who testi-
fed for the city in the Hodgins-
KacZvnski LIQUOR case in the district
court put in claims for witness fees.
The claim came in through F. 3.
Good, fee buyer, who had purchased
/ the claims The council committee
! Immediately sat down on the claim
which amounted to $3.50. There is
absolutely no reason why the city
should pay witness fees to its city
( employees when they are testifying on
the city's time" said Councilman
Howe. They may have a legal right
/ 70 collect suggested one of the mem
bers. and they may hold back"
wen take it out of their salary
then" retorted Mr.. Howe.
Hereafter in addition the clerk of
the court will have to certify that the
witness fees as presented are correct.
! The council does not like the fee buy
! ing system and will probably knock
out F. B. Good, the city purchasing its
/ own fees.
The old time wrangle with the
! judges and clerks of election came up.
/ The judges and clerks of election
want pay both for counting the bond
election of the Topeka, Eskridge &
/ Council Grove interurban railway and
for the CITY election The pay roll
\ was S505 while the election boards
presented an additional bill yesterday
for $475 for the bond election which
the railroad company agreed to pay
previous to the election but which will
have to be met partly by the city evil
\ IDENTIFY. The claims and accounts COM
mittee recommended to allow them
1882. This makes an allowance of
one and one-half of the amount of the
/ bill for the general city election; this is
the way the matter is usually settled
1 But the election boards are not sat
isded; they want to fight the matter
out in the courts and try to make the
full bill stick. The discussion viii be
revived again in the council meeting
/ Monday night. It is even possible
/ however, that the whole bond election
viii be thrown cut OF adjustment on