The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-04
and WHO WROTE 1T.

Continued from Preceding Pase.)
IN favor of importing criminals from
Oklahoma for profit.
Proud of Codding.
You say L am responsible for Mr..
Codding and cheerfully concede that
fact. Mr.. Codding's work in the peni-
tertiary is creditalole to himself and
to the state of Kansas. He has con-
Verted an institution that was demon
allied morally and physically into one
of the foremost, if not the very best
institution, in the United States from
both a moral and business point of
view. He has given the inmates bet
ter food, cleaner and more comfort
able beds and cells, more air, more
rigid discipline and better care; he
has placed the institution on basis
where it is calculated to make citi-
zens of large number Of men who
might, by mistreatment, be driven
permanently into the ranks of the
dangerous criminal class. You have
touched one place in which L take
great pride, indeed. and I would be
glad If every citizen of Kansas could
go to Lansing and investigate for him
self the wholesome changes that have
been made in the penitentiary
Oil Department Saving Money.
Your second charge is that the state
oil inspector, Joseph Longshore, has
attended four Wagstaff meetings. L
do know that five political jobs were
cut out of the state oil Inspectors de-
partment upon my recomm endation
to the Legislature that saves nearly
100000 a year and that that de-
partment shows an increase in earn
fngs during the first year of Mr..
Bongshore's administration of &c.
$1,000 as compared with the previous
year.
The Board of Control Members.
Your third charge is that Mr.. Bow
man and Mr.. Schermerhorn, of the
state charitable institutions have neg
lected their work and have been at
home when they should have been in
Topeka. Mr.. Bowman is one of the
hardest working and most efficient en-
ployes of the state; he has worked
longer hours and rendered more eff
ficient service than almost any other
man in Kansas during the past four
years, and as a result of his Jealous
and untiring efforts to the state of
Kansas he has saved more than
$100,000.00 which he has collected,
from five to ten and fifteen years. In
regard to Mr.. Sch ermerhorn 1 will
say that he has such a very large
business experience that 1 have re-
fused to accept his resignation for sew
eral months because 1 have consid-
cred him Of too much value in the
economic management of the board to
part with his services while the great
work he and his colleagues are do
ing for the unfortunate wards of the
state continues. He is giving a full
dollars worth of work and brain
power for every dollar the state pays
him, and more, and that is what my
established rule for state employees de-
mands. Results are what the people
of this state are looking for.
Fourth: You charge that there are
one hundred more employees under
my administration than under the
previous one. It is enough to say
that Senator Curtis made this same
charge. He had the state auditor
look the matter up and it is my recol-
lection that eighty-fve of these per-
sons were new teachers in the uni
versity, agricultural college and nor
NAL schools who have been employed
to give instruction to the largely in
creased enrolment in these institu-
tions. There was an increased atten-
dance at these three state colleges of
over eight hundred in 1909 as COM
pared with the same date in 1907.
There is also a large increase in the
volume of business in the various de-
partments of state.
I am. indeed, pleased to have you
set forth your grievance against a
Republican administration in a spec
fife way for instead of being a dis
credit to me or the Republican party,
every institution you refer to is man
aged in way that honest, earnest
men and women, if they knew the
truth would be proud of.
Honorable to Aspire to GOvernorship,
But
Now, Mr. Wagstaff, I do not think
you yourself would advocate import
ing disease and crime and shame and
disreputable characters into Kansas
to board them in the penitentiary and
make SIS, 900 or $4,000 per year pro-
fit I think your source of Informal
ton has been bad and that you ought
to take the time to investigate these
matters yourself and not make reck-
less charges that have no foundation
in fact against the great institutions
in this state and cause wrong impress
Stons about their management. 1t
IS indeed a most honorable ambition
to aspire to be governor of Kansas
but It is dishonorable and not in any
way creditable to misrepresent the
institutions of our state and their
management in order to crafty this
ambition The books and the doors
of every institution In Kansas are
open to you and your representatives.
court the most searching tnvest1ga-
ton of the work of my administra-
ton. I am proud of what has been
done and make no promises whatever
for the future of doing better work
than has been done in the past.
The State Grain Department.
I notice you do not mention the
state grain department in which one
OF your most distinguished politicians
of the old stripe was chiet Inspector:
You say nothing about the shortage OF
$4,000 in that department which the
chief clerk swore was taken by the
chief grain inspector, who, in addition
TO this charge, was carrying twelve
politicians on his pay roll that rem
dered no service to the state. This
denar+ment saved about $4,000 the
first wear under John T. Whites ad-
ministration.
That Contingent Fund.
notice you do not specify anything
in nv contingent fund which was used
to maintain the fish and game depart