The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-02-20
Legislative Investigation to Be
Continued.
Case of Crumbine Is One in
Point.
HE DRAWS S4. 900 FROM K. U.
But Does Not Touch $4,000 Al
lowed by State Law.
Doctor Given Hearing to EX-
plain to Committee.

Following an investigation of ex-
penditures of state institutions and
state departments, the house ways and
means committee is trying to solve the
question as to whether DR.. S. ]. Crum-
bine is donating his services to the
| state in the capacity of secretary of
the board of health, or whether his
$4,000 pay check from Kansas univer-
sity is in reality a double check and
| covers his services both in Topeka and
Lawrence.
DR.. Crumbine is dean of Kansas
University Medical school. He is also
secretary of the state board of health
In looking over the records, the house
ways and means committee found that
the doctor mad not touched his 81, 500
salary as secretary of the board. But
little further investigation revealed
the fact that he had drawn a $4,000
annual salary from the maintenance
fund of Kansas university.
Now the law specifically states that
no person shall draw two pay checks
from the state of Kansas for services
| covering a 81 -lilar period of time. Did
DIR. Crumbine do this? That is the
question which the committee is anx-
1ous to determine. In a debate on the
floor of the house this week, Mike
Frey of Geary county made the asser-
ton that Crum bine was receiving two
pay checks. Technically that was in
correct. Yet in the minds of some of
the members of the committee, there
IS question as to whether the Kansas
university check does not in reality
cover DR.. CruIh bine's services to the
university and to the state as well.
Else, members argue, why should the
doctor continue to devote time and
service to the state in the fulfillment
of his work as secretary OF the board
of health?
When the legislature met two wears
+ lat cd
DIR. Crumbine'S services for two wears
only the previous session, the legisla-
ture had increased DIR. Crumbine's pay
from S1,500 to $500 a year: and lust
a few years before that the salary had
been raised from $500 to 81 800
So when the ways and means COM
mittee began to look around a. bit. they.
found that the $4,000 appropriated for
CrumSine'S services has never been
used, but that he has each month
drawn 1888. 33 from Kansas University.
The Investigations of the committee
were reported to DR.. Crumbine and it
is stated that he had requested a
hearing. 1t will probably be granted
But the things which the committee
will want to know concern whether Dr.
Crumbine'S service to the university
are really figured at $4, 900 a year. or
whether they are figured at 81 500 a
year and check for $4,000 issued in
order to cover the pay check provi1ion
of the law and permit the collection of
two salaries? Or, the committee will
ask, if DR.. Crumbine's services were
really worth $4,000 to K. u, why did
he devote his time to the board of
health and charge nothing? And again
if the doctors services to the uni
versity- are worth 81 600 and not 81 500,
why was not his entire time devoted to
the university work?
Concerning their findings, the COM
mittee will make legislative report
Members OF the committee admitted to-
day that they had Investigated the
case but declined to make a statement
until DR.. Crumbine had been given
hearing.
One of the really surprising votes in
the house this session was taken We'd
nesday afternoon when that body by
bare majority passed the bill pro-
Viding that United States senators
shall be nominated by plurality vote
and not by the vote of legislative dis
tricts. Although the plan to norni-
nate United States senators by pOpu-
lar vote was made a portion of the
party policy to trust the people"
many of the Democratic members
from western Kansas voted to leave
the law just as it was written several
years ago. Not until after there was
a prolonged call of the house, did the
house members vote 65 to So to nom
mate by plurality vote.
The house greeted a favorite SEN
ate bill with a club Wednesday af-
ternoon then threw the measure out
the window. That vote occurred on
the bill by Senator Bowman which
regulated the affairs of the innocent
and in offensive real estate agent.
Some of the members contended that
the provisions of the bill made it i'm
possible for a real estate man to coll
Iect a commission for his services.
They enlisted the support of their
friends to beat the measure and it
was defeated SO to 81.
Tannahill,s little bill providing for
the branding of the bulk weight of all
products, aroused small riot in the
house Wednesday afternoon and
brought forth suggestions for some so
amendments 1t provided that a As
pound sack of flour should be properly
branded and labelled, that bushel of
corn, oats. wheat apples and potatoes
and a long list of other products should
be treated in like manner A few of
the members discovered that this plan
meant a real hardship on the farmer
and wanted the new system tried only
on the merchants in town. There was
a oflod of oratory in which the ~ farm
ers were pitted against the 50 men from
the little towns and cities. And after
an hour of right lively debate, the
house recommended that the bill be re-
ported for passage with list OF
amendments attached that resembIed
the tail of a kite
Doors of the house of representa-
tives will be locked to women and chill
dren next Monday night when the
house considers as a special order the
Scott matrimonial bills and the bill