The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-24

and that they were politically guilty.
ana your motive was to meet and an
swer Democratic campaign. arguments
of superior administration. was 1t!
queried the attorney general
Yes. that's ALL" acknowledged the
author Of the original charges.
don't think they were willfully.-only
technically--guilty of q felony. But
they've had me pocketed. They've had
me holed up. They've defeated Gov
ernor Hodges own policies and run the
board out in the other room and left
me out Of It. why, there's one OF the
stenographers in the office-and she's
good onc-that has more power on that
board than have
Don't you know your own rights as
a member Of that board?" queried
Dawson. Don't you know that the
state law guarantees every member
right to have a hearing on every Ques-
ton if he claims it? Did you ever COM
plain to the attorney general or to
county attorney where one Of the state
institutions was located to compel the
recognition of Your rights as a member
Of that board?''
Bowman just ''Talked."
John ]. Schenck, counsel for Brooks
and Myers. took hand in the exam
ination for the first time during the
day.
you've talked a great deal on the
outside and III trains about what was
going on in the board, haven't you?"
yes" declared Bowman. 1T seems
to me that I've talked to nearly every
body about it. I just started talking
and kept right on. 1t was just like a
circle that kept getting wider and wild
err all the time and 1 kept right along
talking to make the disturbance as big
as I could
You talked on the outside instead Of
in the officer" persisted Schenck.
You bet I did,
All day the inquiry had been grind
ing along on such testimony as had
been offered by bidders who objected
to contract letting methods. and by en-
ployees of various institutions sum-
moned for the hearing. 1t was the first
time the defense had gotten hold of
while the hour was growing late inter-
est revived as the Republican and dis
senting board member was toasted
upon the grill.
Supplied Billiard Campaign Material.
Under Schenck's cross-examination
Harry Bowman last night acknowledge
ed that his prediction activities had
included the furnishing to the Billiard
campaign headquarters materials that
were used in anti-DemOcratic circu-
lars sent broadcast over the state.
The circulars were reprints Of news
paper statements most of which he had
in the first place at least one
OF which contained very marked ex-
aggeration in figures on the prices paid
by the Democrats for rice for state in
situations. He admitted that he knew
about the exaggeration but did not take
steps to correct 1t when he found it
being used as campaign literature.
II didn't think 1t was material"
said he.
NH
publican central committee in behalf
of Arthur Capper, in whose interest
it was issued first. Bowman said he
picked up one and recognized It as
good material for the Billiard cam
paign. also.
~"I met a Billiard headquarters man
on the street and pulled this out of
my pocket and said. This ought; to be
all right for YOU, fellows if you'd take,
the Republican name on
the bottom Of IT. He aid, 7 won
der II could get about ten thousand
of those and I told him didn't know
anything about that. The next thing
knew here came the Billiard head
quarters with the same dope"
you didn't take any pains to cor
rect the figures in regard to the states
to be misleading, did your" asked
Schenck.
TT wasn't worth while.''
just the Same Thing.
An interesting chapter in the story
unfolded before the special investigat-
ing commission named by Governor
Hodges to get at the truth about the
charges of irregularity in the board
of control was that devoted to the
methods and circumstances of letting
for institution supplies.
Each year the heads of the several
charitable, educational and correC.
tional institutions of Kansas file with
their respective boards schedules con-
tanning estimates of needed supplies.
Governor Hodges in 13 advanced
the plan of consolidating all contract
ey through the awarding OF larger
contracts. AS a matter of fact the
difference in the demands of the diff
ferent institutions Is such that 1t is
impossible to place single contracts
for an entire line of goods, such as
shoes, with single bidder. Staples
such as sugar may be bought in that
way.
When the contracts are actually
awarded at the offices Of the control
board. great quantities Of samples are
and the quarters of the
board are thronged with statesmen
Heads of the institutions to be sup
piled are called in and they personally
help select articles they want. That
it is the practice of the board to de-
fer to their wishes was the testimony
last night of Mrs. Kate S. Herman, SUI
perintendent of the school for the
deaf at Olathe. This custom results
in the splitting of contracts for sup
plies with the result that different
prices are paid at the same letting for
articles of the same general character
used in different institutions. Quail
tiles are always considered. That this
variance in contract prices was as
much the rule in Republican days as
it ever has been was established last
night when Harry c. Bowman testi-
fed under Schenck's cross-examina-
ton that there was no graft or frreg-
ularity in the awarding at other than
the low figures submitted in 1912 Of