The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-06-27
STATE CAPITAL
NEWS NOTES
CRITICISM OF MANY STATE Off.
GALS EXPECTED WHEN
SESSION OPENS.
WEST IS STRONGLY CRITICISED
Legislature Expected to Remain Only
Very Short Time.-other
News Of the State
Capital.

The Maxey general investigating
committee, which has been in session
in Oklahoma City almost continuously
since the adjournment OF the legisla-
ture, has almost completed its labors
and now is preparing its formal report
of its findings, which will be sub
mitted to the legislature, when 1t re-
convenes.
The committee will not make recon-
mendations for impeachment of any
state officers, but the heads of several
state departments are in for severe
criticism for some of their official
acts. Chief among these, according to
current information, is the attorney
general to whose Office the committee
has devoted q great amount of the
time.
Failure to complete the rate case in
time to get it before the supreme court
where it might have been decided at
the time the Missouri, Arkansas and
Minnesota cases we're disposed of will
furnish one of the committees some
what unusual reasons for criticizihg
the attorney general. The committee,
It is said, is not especially pleased
with the progress that has been made
in perfecting the Oklahoma rate case
and does not agree with the opinion
expressed by the attorney general that
Oklahoma has benefited by the delay
in waiting until the supreme court de-
cided the other state rate cases.
His agreement with H. G. McKeever,
former county attorney, and Judge
Dan Huett, former assistant county at
torney of Garfield county, whereby
the attorneys received $4,000 from
the $4,000 fine paid by the Waters
Pierce Oil company in custer proceed
ings, is another act Of the attorney
general with which the committee is
said 10 find fault. This money, it is
contended by some, should have been
turned into the state treasury and a
short time ago Governor Cruce in
structed West to bring suit to recover
this money A resolution calling on
the attorney general to show cause
why this money had not been collect
ed and requesting that he take steps
to recover it, was defeated in the
house during the regular session OF
the Legislature.
The employment of unnecessary as
sistants and extravagances in expendi'
ture from the contingent fund allowed
to his department are among other
things for which the committee, it is
said, will criticize the attorney gen
eral
The bulk OF the committees recon-
mendations will be for new legislation
designed to correct some Of the evils
or possibilities of evil, which the com
mittee has discovered in its probe Of
the different state departments There
is no department of state the commit
tee has not made some effort to inves
tigate in the hope of making recon-
mendations for the betterment Of the
department.
Some question exists whether the
legislature will take up at this time
the new legislation, which will be
recommended by the committee, the
general opinion being that it will not
1t is freely predicted by persons II
close touch with legislative affairs thai
the legislature will remain in session
less than week when it reconvenes
before final adjournment is taken.