The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-06-21
TO MOVE TO K. C.
Office of the e. s. District At
torney Is Transferred.
Economy Is Given as the Rea-
SON for the Change.

Kansas City, June 21.-Offices of
the United States marshal, district at
| torney and clerk for Kansas will be
transferred within thirty days to
Kansas City, Kan, according to an
announcement here today. In the near
future a postoffice inspector will be
installed in the Kansas City, Kan,
postoffice, with Jurisdiction in this
district. At present the Kansas City,
Mo-, postoffice cares for all necessary
inspection. Fifty per cent of the fed
eral business for the Kansas district
originates in Kansas City, Kan, or ad-
jacent territory, government Officials
system this business must SO to To-
peka to be transacted, thus causing
delay and unnecessary expense to the
government.
The changes have been under con-
Sideration by the department at Wash
ington for several months.
Little credence is given to the re-
port that the United States marshaPs
office and the office of the clerk of
City, Kan. No official notice of the
transfer of the two offices has been
received by Topeka federal officials.
For the last six years Kansas City
and Wichita have been trying
through various channels-political
and otherwise-to obtain the Topeka
offices. When Judge Pollock moved
his office to Kansas City six years ago,
Kansas City began angling for the re-
mainder of the offices. Morton AL
baugh, clerk of the court. and Ohio
Woods, marshal, say they have not
been notified of the change and put
no faith in the report.
When asked by a State Journal re-
the move, they had no statement to
make but judging from the facial eN-
pressions with which they greeted the
rumor, sentiment was all in favor of
Topeka.
The official residence of Fred
Robertson, United States district at
torney, his assistants and office force
is now at Kansas City. An order from
the department of justice at Washing
ton notifying Mr.. Robertson of the
change has been received at the fed
eral offices here.
The move will be made in the next
month. The change, according to the
order, is not a political one but an
economy move. Practically all other
Kansas offices of the department of
justice are located at Kansas City and
it is the intention of the government
to bring them as closely together as
possible.
Although the moving of the district
attorneys office has been talked of
since Judge John c. Pollock changed
his residence from Topeka to Kansas
expected by federal officials.
Robertson's Statement.
In regard to the move Fred Robert
son has issued the following state
ment:
''It has been apparent for some time
that the office would likely have to be
moved to Kansas City. The headquar-
tiers of the various classes of federal
officers with whom the district attor-
ney has to deal daily and in fact al
most hourly are at either Kansas City,
Mo-, or Kansas City, Kan. 1t has been
my policy to devote much time to con-
Sultation with poStoffice inspectors,
special investigators, secret service
men and all the many other govern
ment representatives, to the end that
only those cases be prosecuted which
the ends of justice require.
This policy results in economy of
than that, in the protection from ar
rest and prosecution of citizens not
really guilty of substantial violations
of the laws
MANY people do not seem to under
stand that it is the desire of the de-
partment of justice to protect and i'm
prove the citizenship of the country
prison.
mo, there is absolutely no politics
back of the moving of this office.
None will be more surprised to hear
of il than the senators and congress-
men of this state. 1t is purely mat
ter of governmental economy
"Our office force all regret to leave
in Topeka. We have been treated
splendidly by the people here and are
very grateful to them for it,