The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-19
SIT DOWN ON Him.
Carr TayIor's Requests Ignored by
Railroad Board.

For some reason it appears that the
board of railroad commissioners is
very loath to render any assistance
to its attorney Carr Taylor. in his
prosecutions of suits against the rail-
road companies
J. w. Robson, ex-ehairman of the
board stated not long ago that the
board had given Taylor all the postage
stamps he needed. That seems to be
about the extent of the assistance
which the board has rendered. It
would appear that the board is not
anxious to have rate cases brought
before it.
The excuse given by the board for
its failure to better provide for the
needs of its attorney is that it has
and that it isn't sure that it has any
right to pay Taylor's Office expenses
out of that sum.
Attorney General Coleman has ruled
that the board has the right to use the
fund for this purpose, and still the
board does nothing.
The following requests have been
made on the board by Mr.. Taylor, and
have received no consideration:
A request that the board pay him
$242.30 as salary for his stenographer
from September 25 to January I, dur
ing which time the stenOgrapher has
been paid by Mr.. Taylor out of his
own pocket, and has been working at
the state house entirely on cases and
correspondence of the attorney for the
board.
A request that the board pay for
the services of a stenographer en-
ployed by Mr.. Taylor several months
ago while he was taking dispositions
of railroad officials in Chicago, which
depositions have been used in several
rate cases.
A request that the board authorize
him to employ a stenographer at the
expense of the board for the month
of January.
A request that the board authorize
him to place an Independent teIe-
phone in his Office, which is in an en-
tirely different part of the state house
from the railroad commissioners
Office.
The request for the telephone has
/ been approved by the executive council,
on condition that the expense be paid
by the railroad commissioners, and the
attorney general has ruled that the con-
tlngent fund can be used for that pur-
pose. Yet this simple request has been
/ held up by the board since December
IS.
! There seems to be no especial need for
I such extreme economy on the part of the
board. They still have left in their con-
tingent fund the sum of So, 800, and
most of what has been spent has gone
/ into an expensive ref1nIsEing and refur-
nishing of one of the rooms used by the
/ board for its hearings.
When asked today what he would do
/ in case the board of railroad commits
sioners continue to hold up his requests
for assistance in handling the duties of
| his office, Mr.. Taylor said:
Il am free to say that I have a well
1 defined plan in mind concerning what I
will do, but it is not necessary at this
/ time to tell all about it. / have made
my requests upon the board in a frank
and open manner. I have not tried by
/ private conferences to overcome the OBJ
| jectiOns of the board, If they have any,
nor have I been asked to explain any of
my requests in vain. | want the public
1 to know exactly what have asked for,
and I am confident that there is nothing
unreasonable in my requests. The attor-
ney general has advised the board that
/ it has authority to pay the expenses
| necessary to my office out of its con-
| tingent fund, and for some reason it
] fails to act All I want is that the board
should sanction my accounts. It will
then be up to the state auditor, and un-
/ less he is willing to sign the warrants,
I shall bring mandamus proceedings
against him"
State Auditor Seth Wells has an
nounoed that he is unwilling to sign
warrants for the payment of Taylor's
expenses on the ground that Mr.. Taylor
fund of the board. It seems, however,
the board to act, and then the right Of
Mr. Wells to refuse to sign warrants
can be determined by legal procedure.