The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-08
ALLEN SAW IT.
Watched Stubs Run Band Wag-
on Over Him.
House Passes Bill to Reorganize
Board Of Charities.

Henry Allen, president of the state
board of charities, sat in the hall of
the mouse OF representatives this morn
ing and watched that body Iegislate
him out of job. The Stubs bill Gre
ating board of control OF three mem
bers to replace the present state board
OF charltles OF five members was the
special order, which meant that it was
on the front end of the locomotive and
was peing railroaded to passage on
third reading.
There was nothing about Mr.. Aliens
DenaVlOr TO indicate that he was an in
terested spectator. He sat at the rear
OF the speakers rostrurn, where he was
shielded from observation by a number
who occupied the chairs which flank
the roStrum- Speaker Stubs got UP
and in fiery tones said:
The present state board of charities
IS lazy board; it is regarded as a
snap; the members have nothing to do,
and the object of the present bill is to
give the members something which Will
make them work.
At this Henry Allen only smiled a
little: He did not talk to a single
member, nor make any effort to delay
the passage of the bill It would not
have done any good if he had, and he
knew it. 1t is said that Allen will make
his fight in the senate.
When it was about 1890, the house
adjourned, having only finished the con-
sideration Of half the bill. 1t is likely
lndl the consideration VIII not De COM
pleted until Thursday, as the house has
the Robinett drainage bill on for spec
ial orders this afternoon
Pleads for the State Paper
There seemed to be a disposition on
the part of the house to knock out the
official state paper graft from the bill,
but Mr.. Stubs would not listen to it.
The bill was allowed to stand with
provision that the board of control shall
prepare semi-annually for publication
~, he - e~fa
of the cost of the preceding period for
maintaining each of the state instltu-
tons, including improvements thereto,
and SO arranged to show the cost of the
various kinds of provisions and sup
plies.
There are no restrictions placed on
the length of the reports and anyone
who is familiar with the voluminous
tabulations which are necessary to |
show the cost of the various kinds OF |
provisions and supplies will realize |
that the administration is looking after !
the official state paper very decently. |
This one provision of the bill Will cost |
the state hundreds of dollars every |
year.
Mr.. Simmons of Lane was one Of the /
members who discovered the existence |
of this graft, and he moved to amend |
the section by striking out Shall pub |
lish in the official state paper" and in
serting shall file in their Office
I'VE might as we'll save the state this |
expense" he said. Il do not believe
that the public is likely to pay any at /
tention to such reports, and by having |
them on file in the office of the board,
they are open to public inspection, ana I
would no doubt receive more publicity |
than if we required their publication as
BEFORE any one had a chance to second
Mr.. simmons motion Speaker Stubs was
his feet s snd Sltes ts5Bs sad "'n
1.-The question Of the publication of
these reports has been carefully consider
ed and the method as provided Tor IN the
bill was decided upon as the best. The OBJ
iect is to give as much publicity as pos
sible to the work of the board It is not
that this shall be a long, detailed
but that it shall be a concrete
statement of facts. 1 hope the bill win
-a allowed to remain as it is.
After this declaration by the big boss
here was no one who had the nerve 10
second Simmons notion
Must Not Use Passes.
Another graft feature of the bill which
he house finally decided to eliminate was
hat provision giving the members of the
he state, regardless of whether they
raveled on passes or not An amendment
lsing free transportation shall be allow
ID to collect mileage.
o suit the administration leaders. They
aid it was not a fair deal for the board
IS the other state officers are allowed to
collect the mileage graft as velvet
Some of the members wanted to raise
he pay of the members of the board to
5000 a year instead of the $3.50 as pro-
-ided in the bill. Speaker Stubs said:
This is all right in theory, but it viii
ot work in practice. We pay all our state
hicers $500 a year, and if we allow the
members of this board more than that we
Practically say that they are more valua-
lie men than the state officers. It VIII
remote jealousies and discord. believe
hat these men all ought to have more
iay; they are worth more than $3.50 a
ear, but we can't raise the pay of one
Without raising the pay of ALL
The result of the speech was, of course,
he defeat of the amendment.