The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-22
Expert Paid Through Suit
When Claim Is Rejected.
HE HAD BORROWED
From Men Who Collected From
Taxpayers.
''Frfendly Suit Evades OppOsi-
ton of County Auditor.

-
INQUIRE into the auditing of the fee
books of the county officers will sub
nit an interesting report of it's ind
ing at the meeting of the league at
the court house tonight
The report will say that the noaro
of county commissioners, charged by
law with the quarterly checking OF the
finances of the county offices, mas neg
Iected the work, and are now Putllrs
the taxpayers to enormous expense IoI
a four-year audit by missouri ac-
countants. The report charges tnat
the contract is so loosely drawn that
since September 6, 1911, the present
auditors have been employed In cneck-
ing one Office. 1t will include draLt
of the original contract under Whlch
the experts are employed
Astounding Statements Made.
One of the most astounding reveal
ffons or assertions in this report Is Lile
charge that the former auditor, aiso
refected by the board of county COM
1rlfssfoners as worthless. and the
county auditor had disalloWed his OH
for $500. was allowed half the
Judgment for that amount in friend
Iy suit in the district court BY con
Tossing judgment It IS charged me
board reversed itself. but got by the
county auditors refusal to allow any
sum for a worthless job of accounting
The committee charges that the cause
was due to the friendly loans advanced
the expert on his contract by county
officers, whose offices are not Yet
checked. They got the Sz5O, or most
of II given away, as REIN endorsement of
their loans.
According to this report the board
of county commissioners are subject TO
fine of 500 for signing or Young
for the salary warrants of any county
officer failing to make sworn reports
of fees quarterly, in January. April.
x~e.slr~ M
the failure of any county offlcer 10
make such quarterly report OF feeS
subjects such officer to a line OF $1V
per day for each neglect. II the re
port be delayed 10 days, said otflcer
forfeits his office by reason thereof
Thus the committee argues that II IS
not necessary to have speclal auol'olS
at an expense of $40 or SO per aag
and expenses when the law puts II
clearly up to the board to demand
rigid examinations of the fee BOOKS
every three months.
Do Not Seek to Condemn
The Taxpayers league was roundly
3 condemned by members of the board
of county commissioners recently as d
ssbt1nch of Knockers before any lnVes-
fipations were made by the league. Ine
leagues officers declare they are not
banded together to condemn any OH
Ger or any measure without the 1acIS
to back their statements Facts are al
they want they say. II the racts war
rant it they say they will be Just as
free to commend as to condemn, but
If the taxes are squandered they VIII
endeavor to reduce the levies.
ave hope to have an organization
that by force Of numbers viii make
careless expenditures a risky business.
We are not injuring the community py
ANYTHING we do, and are just as patrl-
ot5e boosters for Topeka and shaw
nee county as those who are posing
as the embodiment of the truly per-
feet SAID Secretary Swayze TO a Sta AZ
tor TpaIfZQ that
man who does nothing never makes bl'l
one error, that Of being a drone ano
that no man is infallible. but there art
such things as becoming careless II
fT7e handling of other peoples money
mnd affairs, and this We have a rign'
to look into and stop II we can w
appreciate that our city IS crowns
and thai the expenses grow heavier
hui the creation of new jobs. lncreds-
ed salaries, and the rushing OF improve
rnents beyond our means is too papa
bic to allow to go on unheeoeo-
League to Apply Brakes.
s.T.o ARMY The brakes is cur province
not to the point Of unnecessary obstruc-
.fiop or hindrance OF future improve
Tnent. but to place the same llmlta-
lions on the expenditures in any on
year as a sound business man Wouis
apply to his private business
eft is unnecessary to call attention Il
the fact that the tax levies leaped mgr
in 1911. Everybody who pays taxes %
served that Many felt they were stune
and said so, but without organization
thew We're told they were pikers anc
would kick on any tax levy. even 4
very low. We don't believe that ever,
taxpayer who objected to the 1911 lev.
were bad citizens. unpatriotic or habit
ual winners. Some of them take prid'
in their city, their county. and in thel
state and consider taxes a just and
honorable debt. They would like t
know though, where the money goes to
and rightly. They are stockholders il
these big corporations and have a RICH
to critically scrutiniza every expendi
ture and that too without being abused
by the servants they pay to properll
conduct public affairs.
VIII Do Its Work.
THE Taxpayers league has a worl
to do that without organization Is o
little effect. The league viii not dis
band. It will stay on the j0 b AM
make il it's business to keep the levie
down. What other cities pay has moth
ing to do with Topeka What othe
county levies are Is no guide for tn
1evies necessary for Shawnee county
If we can live within our means an
have a balance after our honest debt
are paid we are counted good man
ayers in private affairs. However
much the State Journal might nee
two more four-declx unotypsS, Woul
the proprietor make the expenditur
in one year if he could divide that ex
pense over two years without cripplin
his business?
I'VE favor improvements. hut is
wise to build in a year or two what
prudent business man would take tie
years to build Is it wise 20 bull
what we do build an experiments
basis. and rebuild or repair every yea
or two2 Would it not be gooG bushes
for somebody to see to it that we bull
for posterity as far as lasting qualtt