The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-17
Merge Fire Marshal and Oil
Inspector With Others.
BELIEVES IT Will save MONEY
Also Declares 1t Will Promote
State Efficiency.
Fire With Insurance, Oil With
Auditor, Is Plan.

That the fire marsha1's office should
be merged with the work Of the state
superintendent of insurance and that
the work OF the state oil inspector
should be handled from the office of
the state auditor, is the text of two rec
concentrations in the biennial report Of
w. E. Davis. state auditor. Davis de-
cIareS that both changes would result
in more economical administration of
the offices without impairing the eff
cheney of either department.
The Davis plan would call for three
new 81 800 jobs and two new .1,50O jobs
in the office of the superintendent of
insurance when the fire marshars job
is abolished. The present fire marshars s
force consists of a marshal at a salary
or $500 year, an assistant at 81 800
and expenses. -wo deputies at 81, 800
and two inspectors at $1,000 and
other help. including stenogra
pher. By the proposed change in the
oil inspectors office, Davis proposes to
save the state inspectors fee of $1,000
a year. the salary 81, 200 paid one deputy
and at least $1,000 a year from the office
contingent fund.
Both jobs which Davis would abolish
are now held by Democrats.
In his recommendation, the auditor
says:
To do away with needless duplication
OF inspection work and cut down unnec-
essary overhead" expense, I recommend
that the office of state fire marshal be
abolished, and this work placed under the
superintendent Of insurance. The cost of
conducting the work being done by the
state fire marshal could be cut 10 per cent,
and by proper management just as much
and effective work could be accomplished.
The fire marshafs Office at present con-
sists Of the fire marshal at $500 a year,
deputies at s., 800, two inspectors at 81, 200,
two or three extra inspectors at q per
diem and expenses and other clerical help.
I do not wish to belittle the value Of
educational work in fire prevention, and
believe that this phase of the fire mar
shal's activities should be continued un-
der the superintendent Of insurance. This
could be accomplished by having one Of
the additional men allowed the INSURANCE
department required to do this work
For these reasons Fecommend. that the
insurance department be allowed three
additional officers. one at 81 800 and two
at 1880 each. and that the 1re marshaRa
combined with that Of the state superin-
tendent Of insurance.
State Oil Inspector
A saving of s.. 200 year can be effected
without any impairment in efficiency by
abolshing the office of state oil inspector.
doing away with one of his deputies, and
cutting the contingent fund for oil in
spection from $4,000 to LOCO a year. The
spector and one deputy could be done by
the stenographer. This stenographer and
the other five deputies could be attached
to the auditors department.
AS 1t is now. four deputies and the
stenographer do practically all the work.
The oil inspector and the Office deputy
are simply 'middlemen-" They transmit
the report of the four deputy, inspectors,
prepared and checked by the stenographer,
to the auditors office. For this service to
the state the oil inspector receives $1,000
and the deputy 1900 year, with travel
ing expenses. Their work could just as
we'll be done from the office of the state
auditor.