The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-05-20
Dark Horse Wins Secretaryship
of Tax Commission.
John Smith, HOch's Executive
Clerk, the Man.
TOOK MANY BALLOTS.
Reported That Each Member
Had a Candidate.
Trouble About Securing LOca-
tiOn for the Commission.

John Smith of Marion, executive clerk
il the office of Governor e. w. Hoch.
was on Saturday afternoon elected
secretary of the state tax commission at
a salary of $4,000 year.
Tmith was a compromise candidate,
elected on the twelfth ballot. Each OF
the members of the tax commission
voted for a different man. g. c. Crum-
mer was for D. Y. Wilson of Belleville.
Samuel T. Howe was FOR James E. Lari-
mer of Topeka. James Humphrey was
for Henry Jacobs of Abilene There was
no change in the first eleven ballots.
Then the commissioners came to the
conclusion that they would have to take
a compromise and John Smith was Sc
lected. Smith was strongly endorsed by
Governor Hoch, and Hoch's endorse
ment went a long ways with the COM
missioners, whom he had appointed. and
who were holding their meeting in the
governors office.
AS the State Journal announced would
be done on Saturday, Clarence Smith OF
Topeka was elected clerk of the COM
mission, at salary of 81 200. These ap-
pointments are both for four years, and
become effective July 1.
John Smith, the new secretary, is at
present Governor Hoch's executive clerk.
He has held that position since Hoch
was elected governor with the exception
of a short time when he acted as private
secretary. He is from the governors
home town. Smith has lived in Marion
county for twenty years. He was for
time principal of the Hillsboro schools
and afterwards taught in the Marion
city schools. He has also at intervals
edited Governor Hoch's paper, the Mar
ion Record.
He was a very successful teacher
says Governor Hoch, land is fully com
petent to handle the affairs of the new
office. He can do number of things
you Topeka people know nothing about
He can write and he can make an ex-
cellent speech. Above all, he is cour-
teous, conscientious and modest. He Is
the kind of man that makes an excellent
official
Room Fight Not Settled.
The partial determination of the ex-
ecutive council to use the Academy or
Science rooms for the tax commission
| is meeting with a good deal of oppo-
sition, both from the academy and
from the tax commission. There is
marble floor in the main room of the
Academy of Science, as that room was
built and intended for a public mu-
scum. 1t is the only room in the west
wing which has marble floor. But
if the tax commission moves In there,
this floor will have to be carpeted. and
this will cost $500. 1t will also be nee
essary to build some partitions
through this large room. which will in
volve more expense, and with all these
age of documents in these rooms. The
tax commission would either have to
get along without vault, or there
would be the heavy expense of build
| ing in a vault.
| The expense of moving the Academy
of Science collections to the top floor
would also be large, both on account
of the size of the collection. which in
cludes practically all the Kansas min
| eral display at the st. Louis exposition.
but also on account of the expense of
| providing shelving for the library OF
| the academy, which consists of about
| 5000 volumes.
! Members of the academy, including
some of the leading scientific men OF
the state, are expecting to meet with
the members of the executive council
today, and protest against the removal
| of the academy collection and library
| to new quarters.
| The tax commission wants the exc
cutive council to give it the rooms now
| occupied by the travelling Libraries
commission, and 1t is possible that new
! quarters may be found for the travel
| ling libraries, and the tax commits
| sioners given these rooms.