The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-01
THAT BILL.
The WaterwOrks Legislation
That Causes Talk.
Kelly and Bone Explain Their
Understanding OF 1t.

called for a cheap and possible way
for the people of Topeka and other
Kansas cities to obtain an extension
of their city water mains without caus-
ing an unnecessary expense?
1t has been reported In Topeka that
it was the fault of Roy L. Bone, city
commissioner. ]. Will Kelly, a mem
Der of the legislature from this dis
| trtct, claims, also. that it was spite
work" on the part of Bone. Bone, him
self, declares he didn't kill it and had
nothing to do with it, except he oppos-
ed the part of the bill which might
| abolish the auditor.
Bone says he opposed that clause,
and he is proud of it. Representative
Kelly says Mayor Billiard and the city
commissioners worked to have the
auditor eliminated if necessary and
that through his efforts to kill the audi
| tor clause in the bill Commissioner
Bone caused the defeat of the bill it
| self which provided a means to ex-
| tend city water mains.
Bone deems the Office of auditor i'm
portant to the city's interest.
| The discussion has caused a pOliti-
cal disturbance at the city hall. 1t
has gone so far as to be considered
political platform and written state
ments and affidavits are plentiful.
But after the whole matter is sailed
down it comes to this: The commits
sion government amendments intro
duced by city commissioners of many
Kansas cities didn't pass the last leg
| islature. The attempts to make it pos
sible for cities to do away with a city
auditor failed. The campaign to give
the people of the city more water
mains who paw taxes and get
no protection-failed also.
Who is liable for this work? That
| is the question.
]. VIII Kelly, representative in the
| legislature from Topeka, a live mem
| Der in the last session and one who
worked hard for municipal advantages
/ to Topeka, claims that it was Com
| missioner Bone who killed the bill.
| Here is the statement from Mr.. Kelly:
ITO begin with-about a year ago
Bone came to me in the Commercial
| club rooms and said there was no
| necessity for city auditor. He said
the law was mandatory and he was
sorry. He could see no reason for
this office-it cost the city $3.50
year. While Bone was away on his
| famous buffalo hunt Mayor Billiard
| and the Topeka commissioners drew
| up several amendments to the COM
| mission law. Among them was the
| water main extension clause and the
right for city commissioners to dis
penSe with the office of city auditor if
| necessary. Under the old council form
| is done now by the city auditor and
the commissioner of finance. L told
Bone SO after he returned that this
was so. But here he changed his
mind. He said the city couldn't get
| along without an auditor. He said it
was the most important Office in the
city-and not long before that he was
! regretting the fact that it was neces-
that the city auditor was getting
$3.50 a year and he was getting
$500 q year for work that the city
clerk used to do. He got mad at this
but could not convince me that he was
right
Nov when our amendments had
passed the house and came before the
senate I learned that Senator Stewart
of Wichita, an old friend of Bones, was
against striking out the city auditor.
He said that was his objection to the
bill. 1 asked a friend of mine to talk
to Stewart and ask him to change his
mind on this feature.
NO. sir, I won't favor giving the
cities chance to cut out the city
auditor said Stewart. This is spite
work on the part of the city commits
sioners in Topeka, 1 have learned. And
we don't want it in Wichita
Then We went to Stewart and told
him we would strike out that clause
he wanted the water main extension bill
passed. Allen. of Kansas City, also
said he would cut out his Kansas City
paving amendment. This was an OBJ
jecticn from Senator Hamilton. We
took it up again with Stewart but he
refused. 1 know that Stewart said
then, 1T is no use to try to pass this
bill-a city commissioner of Topeka is
against it. And later Bone met him on
the street and they continued their
plans.
Then 1 introduced a bill asking that
the names on the ballots instead of be- |
ing arranged alphabetically, they be ar
ranged differently in the city precincts
in such a manner that every man !
would have a chance to have his name
heading the list. Now remember Bones |
name begins with b and he is always |
at the head of the list.
"'But Senator Hamilton and Senator |
Stewart killed this bill, also. From
former actions 1 know that Bone must |
have been back of this
"I understand that Stewart has writ
ten a letter to Bone generating him
from any cause. Notwithstanding this
letter, Stewart knows that it was pure
ly local matter in Topeka
Bone has sent word to me by a
friend that in case I say anything
about this he will publish something
against me. 1 am not ashamed of any
thing 1 have done in Topeka. Now
that have made this public 1 am ex-
pecting Bone to proceed"
Commissioner Bones Statement.
Commissioner Bone said this today:
with reference to my part in the above
matter I have this to say. After the /
commission was elected last spring we
intended to do without an auditor bu. |
were informed by our city attorney that
the law made it mandatory, so Mr.. Was
son appointed and far as 1 have |
been able to learn majority of the |
board, at this time after our years ex-
perience, would not think of getting along |
without one.
Mr.. Kelly's objection to the auditor |
dates back to a few days after the APP /
pointment was made. Mr. Kelley filed a |
bill against the city for $50, the premium
on the waterworks superintendent bond. /
Upon checking this bill over and enquir-
ing as to the correctness of the amount as /
is done with every bill the auditor found /
that the premium should have been So 80 |