The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-04
Seen From the Gallery
BY HARVEY PARSONS.

The socalled independent oil COM
panies are inclined to join with the
rabid Republicans in an effort to
grease the oil inspection department
Of the state and slide it off the job.
The oil inspection department of the
state being the only state department
that has paid for its board and clothes
during the past two years, is viewed
with alarm. Governor Capper refuses
to can state officials just because they
are hangover Democrats, and wants
other evidence against the accused.
The oil department seems to be salts
factory to everybody but the politi-
clans and one or two Oil companies.
The politicians want the jobs connect
ed Herewith, and Mr.. Capper's back
wardness about delivering same to the
askers of his party. have peeved them
to the point where they would fain
wipe the job off the map,-another
case of the bull-towser in the horses
dining room. One refinery. which
calls itself independent" because 1t
does not belong to Jawn D., joins with
the politicians in an effort to put the
proaches from another angle. This
refinery views with alarm the fact
that the oil inspection department
pays expenses and turns some perfect
ly good kush over to the state at ire
quent intervals. This should never,
never be, says this refinery. The de-
partment should be operated at state
expense like other state departments.
The present fee for oil and gasoline
inspection is ten cents per barrel. In
adjoining states it is IL cents or more.
The one refinery that is conducting
the campaign to change the inspec-
ton laws, demands that oil be in
spected for cents the copy. and gaso-
is So Much Trouble to make the gaso-
line comply with the state depart
ment's requirement of specific gravity
So 1t is SO much easier to leave q
lot Of naphtha therein and give the
autoist needed exercise by walking
two miles after q team Of mules to
pull his gas wagon into a garage. 1t
| is also refreshing to hear the merry
agriculturist person cuss when MS
pump or tractor engine refuses to
DumD or tract or to observe a tank
| full of the uninspected stuff explode
| and blow said agriculturist clear out
of his voting precinct. And with q
brief, which contains NO more real
sense than the foregoing. the oilers
seek to knock the baled hay out OF the
states only paying department.
| Wilson county, Kansas, is a normal
ly Republican county. J. p. White
| side is a Democrat Of the Jeffersonian
| type. But the Wilson cOunty-ites elect
| J. E., socalled Elmer, Whiteside to
any office he may SO far forget him.
self as to ask for. One might gather
| that the people of Wilson county see
| the man through a telescope that cx-
/ cludes his party from the field OF
vision. they elect Ben Paulen to the
| senate. and ne il a standpat Republi-
/ can. They elect Whiteside to the
! house, and he Is q standpat Democrat
Il Mr.. Whiteside owns fine farm In
the Fall River bottoms, and farmed
| same until the Democrats needed g
Il candidate for sheriff. He sheriffed
Il two terms, and holds the distinction
Il Of being the only sheriff. in that coun-
/ ty, during the past 20 years. who did
II not permit q Jail delivery from the
| little tin can known as the Wilson
II county Jail. He was picked for repre-
II sentative because he was the best vote
II collector among the Democrats. and 4
Is the first time in 20 years that I