The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-04-17
1T COST $77,23O
The Last Legislative Session
Was Expensive.
State Paid $1,245.65 per Day
for Lawmakers.
FOR EMPLOYEES, S35,714
Not Since 1908 Was Legislative
Expense So High.
Senate Had More Employees
Than the House.

The recent legislative session cost
| the state of Kansas just $T7, 2S0.30
according to figures compiled in the
Office of State Auditor W. E. Davis. OF
this cost, $46.560.20 of the amount is
| charged to the house, $27,732.40 to
the senate and $2,937.7O to general
miscellaneous items. The session cost
the state just $1,245.65 for each of
| the SO days@including Sundays
| which the law makers were in To-
| peka. 1t was the most expensive ses-
| sion since 1903.
Among the items for expense for
new laws, is the total of $35,714 for
| mployees-nearly one-half of the to-
| tai expense Of the session. And an
other thing about the employees ex-
pense is the fact that the senate with
its forty members spent more money
for employees than did the house with
it's 125 members. OF the $35s714
which employees received for their
services, $18,549 of the amount is
charged to the senate and $17,165 to
the house.
Postage and telegraph cost the state
less this year than two years ago, when
each member was allowed to use the
telephone and telegraph at his con-
Ventence and charge the account to the
state That system caused the state
auditor to gasp for breath when he
telegraph companies piled up against
the Kansas taxpayers. This year the
system was abolished. Each member
of the house or senate was allowed
$25-no more-for postage. From
that amount he was required to pay
his own telephone and telegraph tolls
and the state saved several thousand
dollars. Total cost this year for post
age was $4,225-$3,150 in the house
and SLOTS in the senate.
For mileage the state paid 81 ,679. 40
to senate members and $7,351.2o to
house members. Per diem for senate
MEMBERSHIP members drew pay for
so days .only-was Sc, 429; while per diem
for house members was s1S,s94. The
miscellaneous expense account for the
two houses totalled $2,93770 for the
session, bringing the aggregate cost of
the session to SIT, 230.30
Record for Ten Years.
The 1913 legislative session made a
record in cost for legislative sessions
of the last ten years. Not since the
session of 1903 has Kansas legisla-
ture cost the taxpayers of the state
as much money as has the session just
of the Democratic
campaign promises for economy
Records contained in the 1s11-12 re-
port of the state auditor, show on pages
150-51 the cost of legislative sessions
in Kansas for ten years, both regular
and special sessions.
Those records show that the 1903
session was almost record breaker in
Kansas in the matter of expense. That
session cost the state $4,000. In addi-
ton to that expense was a special ses-
sion in 1903, which cost Kansas an
additional $10,227.20. The 1905 session
esta blished a new record in economy.
That year the legislature cost the state
but $65, 622 SO. The 1907 session cost
SIG, 101 81. A special session in 1903
caught the taxpayers for $25, 81 ad-
expense. The 1909 session cost
S69, 050 In 1911, the legislature with
the exception of 1907, set a new high
water record since the 1908 meeting
and was only passed by the session |
just closed. The auditors report shows
that an even $4,000 was appropriated
for the session two years ago. And
against all of these records is the ex-
pense of ST., $1,000 for the 1913 session. |