The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-05-18
Representatives of Oil Compa.
MES Gather at State House.
Confer With Kansas Officials
Over Inspection Situation.
OFFICE MUST HAVE MONEY
Or the Work of Inspection Can
not Go On.
The Conditions Are EmbarraSs-
ing to Both Parties.

That old bugaboo-contributi to
the state for oil Inspections this
afternoon being considered at a con-
ference between state officials and rep
resentatives of the large oil companies
at meeting in the office of Governor
Capper. The meeting is the second that
has been held to work out solution
of the oil inspection problem since the
supreme court held the former oil in
spection fee unconstitutional.
Nearly twenty representatives of
the large oil companies are in Topeka
for the meeting. Consideration of the
oil inspection trouble was to have
been taken up this morning. A con-
ference was delayed, however, when
Governor Capper missed train con-
nectiOns in Kansas City while return
ing from a trip to Pittsburg and Fort
Scott The governor arrived this aft
ernoon and called members of the at
torney generals force to his office to
participate in the discussion of oil in
spection rates. Frank Cumiskey of
Pittsburg, state oil inspector, is also
attending the conference.
Willing to Donate.
Several oil companies have agreed
to pay the state a reasonable fee for
the inspection of oil and gasoline. The
payment. however, will be strictly vol
untary and would come in the form
of a donation from the oil companies
to the state. A compromise fee OF
three cents barrel was proposed by
several state officials. At. former
conference, representatives of the
| companies refused to give a positive
statement concerning the payment OF
this fee, but agreed to submit the
matter to heads of the producing and
refining companies The meeting to-
day was called to bring about final
solution of the question.
Under an act of the 1915 legislature
the state provided IN appropriation
sufficient to meet the operating ex
penses of the state oil inspectors of
flee The decision of the Kansas su
| preme court, however, wiped the in
spection fee from the statute book.
when it held that the existing fee O.
| ten cents a barrel was a revenue pro
| ducing measure. It was shown tina
| the fee produced a revenue of 100, 00t
a year. The court decision left tn,
| state without remedy for the collec
ton of fees, but bound under the Law
| to continue the inspection work
| When Revenue Stopped.
| 1t is for the purpose of working on
| a solution of the present trouble tina
| the conference was called. State of
ficials have urged that they canr4o
maintain the efficiency of the depart
| ment without a fee from the oil com
| panies. In order to insure the promp
| iHspection u their OIL ana SaSOllne
several of the companies have agreet
to make a voluntary contribution to tn
| state based on the amount of oil in
spected.
Since the decision of the suprem
court, there has been no revenue from
the oil inspectors office. The depart
ment has been maintained at state ex
pense. In event an agreement
reached today, concerning a fee, stat
officials will urge that the oil com
panies make the agreement to cove
nearly a quarter million barrels of OF
and gasoline inspected since the act o
the supreme court