The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-25
Who STARTED IT
Governor Stubbs Says Curtis
Originated Tax Controversy.
Satisfied Discussion Has Been a
Good Thing.
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
Will Find Out What Is Done
With Money.
Intimates That Senator Has
Played Part Of DemagOgue.

governor StubbS, before he left Tor
st. Louis to join the Taft party, gave
out the following statement:
Senator Curtis started this contro-
versy by stating that reform in Kansas
was costing the taxpayers an extra mil
lion dollars year. He now seeks to
retire from the discussion with the very
meek statement that if the increased
appropriations are necessary there is
nothing more to be said
"I am fully convinced that the free
discussion of the tax question and the
methods of this administration has
been beneficial to the administration and
to the state. When the general assault on
reform was recently championed by
Senator Curtis and slanderous charges
against the present Republican admin
istration were publicly made by him.
| began to make a most thorough inves-
tigation of every department of the
state. The information I received from
the heads of department giving exact
figures is indeed very gratifying.
! "First-It proves beyond dispute or
question that the public business of
| this state is being conducted on
| sound and economical basis.
'Second-That the character OF the
service has been decidedly improved.
''Third-That a permanent system of
bookkeeping with proper checks and
balances have been established in many
departments where heretofore business
laws have been wholly ignored.
"Fourth-That the charges of extrav-
| agance in the management of public
business have not only failed to be sus-
I tained but on the contrary it has shown
how much more economically the state
government is conducted than are the
local city, county, township and school
district governments. That the state
| expenses are increasing is inevitable
because the state itself is growing, but
no one has shown where the state ex-
penses could be reduced without posi-
tive injury to the public.
'F'ifth-Another benefit from this dis
cussion is that the enemies of the re-
form movement and this administration
have been driven out of the brush and
compelled to fight in the open greatly
= to their modification and chagrin.
~ Cost OF Reform Talk
Senator Curtis commenced this con-
| troversy by stating that reform in
. Kansas was costing the taxpayers an
! extra million dollars year. He now
seeks to retire from the discussion with
the very meek statement that if the
increased appropriations are necessary
there is nothing more to be said
THE senator has asked me certain
questions which 1 have cheerfully and
| patiently answered to the pest OF my
ability in the press and in public ad-
dresses and my answers have been sup
Il ported by the official statements of the
state tax commission, state auditor,
| state oil inspector, state treasurer, Sld.t.
grain inspector. the warden of the peni-
Tertiary and other public officials CIV
ing exact figures
II have even invited Senator Curtis,
, as well as all other citizens who may
have ideas of economy. to write me
publicly or privately and if feasible
their ideas of economy would be put
into practice. Senator Curtis charged
that there was an unnecessary numper
of employees in the penitentiary- While
!, / d. e., fior7 1cd
this was untrue I promptly wired the
warden and each of the directors and
their answers were all to the effect that
|, any further reduction of employees
would injure the service and be fraught
with serious danger to discipline
"And now it is Senator Curtis turn
TO answer questions concerning his stlii
l1nretracted slander of the state ad-
ministration at Eskridge when he said:
Look ar your tax receipts and see the
: cost of reform. You have real reform
| administration now
Senator Curtis, do you know that
| The average cost per year to the tax
payers of Kansas during the two years
Of nv administration Will be SSU,oOO
per annum less than the 1907 tax levy?
If you do not know this please note
the following and tell me if this state
ment is not absolutely true: The So
100000 tax levy of 1908 added to the
s3.139, 900 tax levy of 1909 equals So
. 3a9, 900 total tax levy for the two years
this amount equals $2.16e,o00. aver
age tax per year as compared with
s2,749.o00 tax levy of 1907
eff the average tax for the two years
of my administration saves $so'Ooo per
year to the taxpayers as compared
with the 1907 tax levy, why do you try
to make it appear that a real reform
government will cost the taxpayers a
million dollars more this year than
last year?
3If 100000 was taken from the
1908 tax levy to pay the November and
December bills of last year. as the
state auditor positively states over his
signature was true, does this not re-
duce the available tax during my ad-
ministration to that extent?
'sIn the face of these indisputable
facts how can you and your associates
be brazen faced enough to tell the peo-
pie of Kansas that the expenses of the
state government have been increased
nearly one million dollars more this
, year than last year?
"Do you believe that the state audi
tor stated folsehood when he showed
the tax levy of 1907 amounting to $2,-
74s,OOo was insufficient to pay that
years expenses and the bills for No
vember and December had to be paid
out of the 1908 taxes?
'Do you believe the tax commission
, stated a falsehood when they said that
) the tax levy for 1908 was an error
and was wholly insufficient to pay the
: expenses of the state for one year?
Not the Fair Way.
!, "Is it not the part of a demagogue
0 to compare this years levy with last
r years levy when it is admitted that
last years levy was erroneous and
Z many hundred thousand dollars too
small to pay the expenses of the state
e. for one year?
"Now as to the increased appropria-
tions of the last Legislature: Since
$545,0O0 of this increase goes to the
Agricultural college, the State Normal