The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-26
To BE PERM ANENT.
Taylor Riddle Wants That Kind
of Investigating Committee.
Not Even the Mountains Shall
Hide Spenders of Money.

Appointment of a permanent inves-
tigating committee which shall report
to the governor, was requested in the
house today by Taylor Riddle as
chairman of the house legislative in
Vestigating committee, appointed by
work of employees in the state de-
partments and the expenditure of ap-
preparations and contingent funds.
Much testimony has already been
taken by this committee, but because
it is impossible to complete the work
before the close of the session, a spe-
cial committee to continue these in
vestigations has been asked.
A resolution similar to the one Of
fered by Riddle was also presented in
the senate today and it is probable
that the legislature will grant the re-
quest of the committee heads and or
der the completion of the work now
under the control of the special COM
mittee. Whether the special commit
tee will be made permanent, has not
been determined.
Since the investigating committee
was appointed, it has made inquiries
partments, the expenditure of appro-
priations and contingent funds and the
service rendered the state by it's sew
eral hundred employees. The revela-
tions made to the committee have, in
the mind of Chairman Riddle, war
ranted a request for a thorough in
vestigation.
1--WE have taken a great deal of
oral testimony" said Riddle today in
discussing the work of the committee.
1.-The facts which our committee has
gathered have, ] believe, warranted us
in asking that the investigation be
turned over to permanent committee
which shall make its report to the
governor. The tax payers of the state
are entitled to know the facts con-
cerning the use of their money and the
service returned. Only an investiga-
ton of the various departments will
bring out these facts and / hope that
our request will be granted
The investigating committee has
been working nearly six weeks. Much
testimony has been taken, but the
exact nature of the findings of the
committee will not be made public at
this time. Neither will memb bers of
the committee discuss the departments
under investigation.
A resolution similar to the one Of
fered by Riddle was presented in the
senate today by Senator Noah L.
Bowman, chairman of the senate in
vestigating committee. No action has
yet been taken on the reports.
All city employees in cities with a
population of more than 10000 will
be under the supervision of a civil
service commission if the senate
adopts the bill by Gordon of Wyan-
dotte which was today passed In the
house. The bill affects all city ap-
pointees in towns with more than 40.-
600 population and provides that the
civil service commission shall be COM
posed of three members, appointed by
the city commissioners. One shall
serve for two years, one for three
years and one member for four years
At the expiration of each term, one
member shall be appointed for four
years, thus making the positions ap-
pointive for a term of four years, sue
ceeding the first members of the COM
mission. The members of the commits
sion may prescribe rules and examina-
tionS for city employees and persons
who are successful in these examina-
tions shall serve on a plan similar to
the present federal civil service syS-
tenn.
The house today passed the bill by
Stone of Shawnee providing that CIT
les with more than 10000 inhabitants
may pension their employees after 20
years continuous service. In no in
stance shall the individual pension ex-
ceed $50 a month and may be allow
ed by the city commissioners on writ
ten applications of the city employee
or his dependant widow.
The house passed the Cook bill
which compels cities of the third class
to publish a detailed quarterly state
ment in some local newspaper either
in the town affected or in some paper
in the county which has a general cir
in that town.
Nearly an hour of the time of the
morning session was consumed in COL
lecting bills which could be thrown
into bulk roll call. Eight bills were
passed in the omnibus call taken just
before the noon adjournment. Prac-
tically all of these measures were To-
cal in their application.
FIND SNAKES IN GRIP.