The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-06
Unless Council HOnors His Req.
uisitiOn for a BOOkkeeper.
MAYOR ANSWERS BACK
Says All Appointments We're Ap.
proved by Engineer Rogers.
Other Items of Interest Around
City Building.

Gil TONIGHT, Olty Engineer JOnn r. ROB-
ers, the official who was so severely
criticised for being so careless in his
office duties, WIFI ask the council for a
| rev employee IN his office-that of book
keeper-and if the council does not see
fit to create the new Office the resig-
ration of the city engineer will fol-
low.
1t us a well known fact that since
the criticism the city engineer has felt
keenly the cutting charges and consid-
cradle feeling has been wrought up
over the affair. In his statement to the
| Slate Journal Saturday Mr.. Rogers an
swered the charges calmly and only in
! timated that it was through the errors
OF the city appointees that the esti-
mates on paving passed through the
office and were not checked properly.
Also that the Office was not sufficiently
supplied with help to carry on the i'm
| mense amount of work at this time of
| the year.
| friends of the city engineer today that
| he will send a communication to the
| city council tonight and this commun-
| ication will have attached a designa-
| ton in case it is not honored. 1t is
understood that the city engineer will
| show in his appeal to the council that
| the amount of business coming through
| the office of the city engineer cannot
be handled by the present office force
| Considering the blame that Is attached
| and the necessity of covering so much
| territory at one time, the city engineer
| will offer his resignation in case the
requisition for a bookkeeper is not hon.
| Ored.
| There have been number of reports
going the rounds to the effect that
MayorGreen had politely asked Engineer
Rogers to resign from his position.
This report has been emphatically de-
MED by both Mr.. Rogers and the mayor
Mayor Green admitted that Mr.. Rogers
is a most valuable and capable man
and an excellent engineer but it was
only through his carelessness that the
present trouble came to light
Political Deal On?
There have been other reports stat
ing that the whole matter was a politi-
cal deal. That it was the intention of
the mayor and Street Commissioner
Snyder, to GUST Mr. Rogers from office
in order to place their substitute the
assistant city engineer, William Fulton.
1t is said by the politicians that the
mayor and the street commissioner to-
gether with the administration pow
ers have found a strong ally in Full
ton and in order to give him a good
recommendation for the new commits
sioners under the commission form of
government they must place him in
office as soon as possible.
All of these rumors come and go
without any apparent foundation
among the city officials All that is
really known is that the mayor charged
the city engineer with some gross err
rors in his official duties and the feel
ing between the two men is none too
friendly a result
Mayor Green Answers.
Mayor Green took a Number of ex
- ha or M q "a
City Engineer Rogers to the State
Journal Saturday. He said:
1.-THE city engineer fntimates that it
is up to the mayor to check over all
the estimates from his department..
This is hardly feasible. The city de-
partments are supposed 70 be Compel
ent enough to handle their own work
and from there the estimates go to
the council committee. ! happened to
look over some of these estimates and
they were so mixed up that I found it
necessary to start the investigation
from this office.
MIR. Rogers also intimated that the
help in his office were of my choice and
he should not be blamed for their err
rors. 1t is true that 1 appoint them but
/ have never appointed a man without
the approval or the recommendation OF
the city engineer. Mr.. Rogers passed
his approval on all the employees in the
office"
1t is not known what the council will
do with the request for a bookkeeper
by Mr.. Rogers tonight. The councii-
men are all very friendly to the city
engineer and realize his value to the
city 1t is thought that the resignation
of Mr. Rogers will not be accepted if it
is proffered.
I'VE can't afford to lose man like
Rogers" said one of the councilmeh
this morning 81 don't know what the
rest of the councilmen will do but I
know that I will vote for bookkeeper
and I will also fight the acceptance OF
| the resignation"
| court today and he could not be inter
viewed He refused to make any mora
| statements. saying that he thought IL
unnecessary at this time.
! City Clerk C. B. Burge has just is
sued an account of the receipts and dis
/ bursements of the city for the month of
! October and for the eight months of the
year 1909 This report is one of the
numerous improvements to the records
of the city clerks office made and origi-
mated by the well known and competent
city clerk The whole report only GOV >
erS one sheet of paper and is simple
| enough for a school boy to audit. The
records of the city as kept by MI
Burge during the last four years are
constant source of advantage and bene-
fit to the city officials.
The report shows that for October the
| total receipts amounted to $15,616 6o.
The total disbursements, $16,41410, this
! leaving a velvet to the city for to-
tai of 49, POP. So for receipts over dis
| bursements. The largest expenditure
| was made by the fire department-an
amount of S4,072.5S.
For the first eight months of the year
| 1909 the total receipts amounted t.
1874, 439.6S and the disbursements $751;
1895.
1t is interesting to note that in COM
pairing this year with last there were
only two departments of the city gov
eminent that operated under the old
| figures. Street Commissioner Snyder
succeeded in cutting. down the expenses
of his department The electric light
department did the same. 1t is won
derful to realize that with the addi-