The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-02
Orr Resolution Is Broad in Its
Scope.
Claims Extravaganza in All
State Departments.
FIGURES ARE CITED.
Increased Expenditures OF Gov
ernOr and Attorney General.
Bank Commissioner and At
tOrney General Included.

The house had another lively ses-
sion Tuesday afternoon over another
resolution by Orr of Atchison calling
for an investigation of the departments
OF the state The resolution
covered eight typewriter pages
and had figures to show the in
crease in expenditures in each de-
partment.
After wrangling over the resolution
for an hour or more the house ordered
five hundred copies printed so that
the members might familiarize them
selves with its allegations. The mo-
ton to lay the resolution on the table
was lost by roll call vote of gu to
60 as told in the last edition of the
State Journal.
The debate between members of
opposite political waith became acrl-
monious at times.
The resolution stated that the state
had increased in population 100000
since 1900 and that the increase in
state expenditures had been one mill
lion dollars for that period, an in
crease. it was alleged, far in excess
of the increase in population and out
of all proportion to the same. An
object of the resolution was shown
in the following language quoted
therefrom:
whereas. it appears from the Of
fetal records, as shown by the reports
of the state auditor, that there has
been an ineXcusable waste of the peo-
pies money by the present admins
tration, which if not checked, will
bring the fair name of Kansas INTO
diSrepute and greatly increase the al
ready intolerable burden of taxation.
Taking up the governors office first.
the resolution shows that $4,000 has
| been expended since 1906 for mann
| tanning the governors residence. That
the contingent fund has been jump
| ed to $4,000.
| The attorney generals office comes
| next and it is shown that jackson
spent $19,050 in 1910, and that ne
spent sass for travelling expenses in
| 1908 and SS,551 in 1910 and his as
| sistants nearly $4,000 more. The reso-
luton is especially caustic in regard
| to the system of the office in collect
| ing fees from the enforcement OF the
| prohibition law. Along this line it
says: "A report from one county, care
fully compiled, and submitted by the
| clerk of common pleas of Wyandotte
| county, shows that in that county
alone the attorney generals oflce,
| either by the attorney general or MS
| assistant. c. w. Triclzett, was allowed
| in so-called prohibitory law prosecu-
| tions, commencing June 20, 1906, and
covering the incumbency of Attorney
General Jackson, fees in, Injunction
| cases growing out of claimed VIOLA
lions of the prohibitory law, the enor-
nous sum of $31.628. That there was
collected of this enormous sum
in cash the sum of $15,912.
That in the cases where cash had not
| been received "A pieces of real estate
were sold to satisfy these costs and IN
every case were bid in and owned by
G. w Trickett. the assistant attorney
| general and I am advised that the
property so sold and bid in amounts
in value to more than $4,000. The
plan seems to have been to secure in
functions and pile one up on the other
| because of the attorneys fees in them.
This is but one of the counties in this
state in which this system has been
practiced. Investigations are being
made in Leavenworth, Atchison, Shaw
nee. Marshall, Sedgwick and Craw-
ford and numerous other counties,
and which 1 have no doubt will show
a like state of affairs, and which de-
mands searching investigation
The resolution next considers the
bank commissioners office, alleging an
The travelling expenses of the commits
sioner and his assistants is placed at
about $4,000 for 1910.
The office of the adjutant general is
also mentioned as an example of 'ap-
palling'' extravaganza. 1t spent $61, 43C
in 1910. an increase of $4,000 per year
since 1906.
The railroad commissioners and
board of control and state auditor and
secretary of state offices are all set
forth in the resolution as having spent
largely increasing sums for expenses
every year since 1906.
| The resolution concludes with pro-
vision for the investigation of the de-
partments of the governor attorney
general and bank commissioner by &
| committee of three from the senate
| and four from the house and that this
, committee is clothed with all the pow
ers of a court and is to sit until It's
iabors are completed.
, The text of this resolution may a:
. well be taken now for the official Dem
ocratic document for the next stat
t campaign. They have started the figh
: early and base their claims for prefer
ence on these allegations against tn:
. officials of the dominant party.
t Jesse Napier, Democratic representa-
tive from Newton. Harvey county, wa.
called to the chair to preside in com
mittee of the whole. Napier is an edi
e tor and is the first Democrat elected
to the legislature from Harvey count.
= since If WAS ryaniZed rs wears ago.