The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-02
Have YEA POLICE
Question That Is to Be Aired in
City Council.
Claim That Force Has Not Been
Legally Hired.
TALK OF LAWSUITS.
May Bring Actions to Recover
Salaries.
Councilman Holiday Wants
Whole Question Canvassed.
An OutgrOWth of Controversy
Over the ''SpOtter" Bills.

Hlll come before the city council March
9 for rigid investigation. A storm
which has been brewing for a month
past viii break with unqualified severi-
" upon Chief Stahl and his cohorts.
Two trump cards will be led and
played by those who are back of
the investigation There is every rea-
son to support that the trump cards are
good for what they are expected to
bring in to the players. The two trump
cards which viii be played are: First,
the alleged misappropriation of the
c1ty's general improvement and general
revenue funds by the city council for
the hiring of secret service men and
tne employment of secret service. sec
ondi that the entire police force Of the
CITY has been never legally appointed
and Is to all purposes an illegal body
or men hired to enforce the law.
The first trump card Will be reserved
city council viii take with reference to
H1e secret service bills presented in the
past and paid with the exception of
&haE or last month which was held up
pending investigation and the report
from the judiciary committee. The re-
port of that committee has been sub
srantially already published. It con-
sists of two reports, minority and a
majority. Both reports recognize the |
4act that the bills are illegal and irreg- |
MAR in their character. The minority
AERDLA u - n. f1DttlQdA, chairman
the committee holds that the bill in
question for the month of January
amounting 10 S111-50 should not be paid; |
the majority report signed by Council |
men Green and Howe. the other mem |
bers Of the committee, holds that the /
bill should be paid from the fact that /
such bills have been paid in the past !
by the council without objection
Should the city council decide for the |
minority report it is stated that the suit /
against the members of the city council |
Tor alleged misrepresentation of the city |
FUNDS Will not be pushed vigorously. /
Should, however, the contrary be the
action and stand of the city council it
A. stated with good authority that suit
will be under the names of three citi- /
zenS OF the city and will be for the /
amount paid out for secret service and 4
Information by Chief Stahl and the city 1
council. The bills during StahPs regime /
in 1904 for this character of service |
amount to ST10.23, divided as follows: |
December, S106-1O; November. $S0-7 IS; /
october, S1OS75; September, S91-15; !
May, $3.50 No bill for secret service /
was presented for the month of April. |
Stahl took charge OF the office begin
rlng with the first of April. succeeding /
A.. z. McCOllum.
II is claimed by the attorneys who |,
have examined the question that it can |
be made very interesting for the city
council through the medium of a legal
be checked to individual accounts of
which each account represents sum of
reasonable size, say two dollars or over,
the ilegality of the payment Will still
be more definitely fixed AS presented, |
the bills in question have usually stated
$50 for employment OF secret service
man and the remainder of the bill,
Whatever it was, for secret information
and work without specifying the parties
10 whom the amounts were paid. A
certain amount of laxity is permitted
to heads Of departments in the state
lnents of their bills as handed in to
the city council for passage and ap-
prOval and when the amounts are small
and comparatively insignificant in size
they are not required to be itemized-
This, however. will only affect the
status of the Stahl claims in as far as
g can be shown that the amounts are
Of the same comparative size.
It IS of course to the police interests
Of the city to keep from the public the
names of the secret service men en-
plcyed- As soon as the names are pub
lished to the world their effectiveness
IS destroyed If the money could be
paid after the service was rendered, the
party out of the city, and off the force
the regular method of presenting a sal
cry bill and enumerating the parties re-
ceivtng the same could be published
with impunity and the bill filed with
the city clerk with the same feeling of
Indifference that would characterize the
fling of any other salary bill. But as a ]
ELtH TO secure the character OF service
under question all salaries have to be
paid promptly by the city or the person
Furnishing the secret service becomes
discouraged and quits. It is the desire
OF those members of the judiciary COM | {
I1Ittee presenting the majority report
to the council that some ordinance be
drawn up by the city council legalizing s
the employment by the chief of police
Of spoilers and their payment in the
manner which has been followed in the
past This. however, apparently pre-
sants a legal difficulty. according to the {
opfnion of a prominent attorney the {
drawing up of any such an ordinance
VII conflict with the statutes of the CITY
CHARTER act passed in 1903. If an at
tempt is made to draw up some such