The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-04-10
Commissioner Wasson in Full
Accord on Subject.
Providing Payment of 3 Per
Cent on City Deposits.
He TAKES IMMEDIATE STEPS
Error Was Due to Following an
Established Custom.
Mayor House Makes a State
ment on the Subject.

rs there any further business to
come before the commissioners? %
asked Mayor House after the con-
firmation of few employees had TAX
en- place at their regular meeting this
morning. There was a pause among
the commissioners as if they fully ex-
pected something to come from Com
missioner of Finance Wasson and all
eyes turned to him but silence reigned
After having given any commissioner
who might have wished to say some
thing time to do so, the mayor said,
There being nothing further to en-
gage the attention of the board it
stands adjourned.
4 After the meeting Commissioners
Wasson said, Il believe that a wrong
impression prevails and l wish to
make the statement that 1 take the
full responsibility for the city's not
getting so much for its daily deposits
as does the state. There is no one to
blame but me, although there is an
ordinance which might cover my case,
but 1 viii not refer to that now. The
banks should pay more
The Mayors Statement.
Mr.. Wasson is responsible to the
voters for the conduct of his depart
ment There is a mistaken impress
sion, quite generally entertained, that
the mayor has some sort of authority
over the other departments. If l un-
derstand the charter act, there is Moth
ing in it to warrant this impression.
If the commission, as a whole, believes
there is laXity or negligence, in any
department it can, by majority vote,
take cognizance of any such laXity or
negligence. But except insofar as his
own departments are concerned, the
mayor was pretty effectually dehorned
when the charter act was adopted
The mayor can, and does. act in an
fRdyisory capacity to the other depart
naents when questions for adjustment
arise. But he has no absolute author
ity in the matter of conducting the
detail of departments other than his
own. The mayor has advised Mr..
Wasson to try to secure a better rate
of interest on city funds. That is the
extent of his latitude unless the COM
mission as a whole decides that Mr..
Wasson is miSmanagiEg the funds and
takes the matter out of his hands.
Mr.. Wasson is guilty of nothing
except following a custom that has
prevailed for some years past. He is
a conscientious and painstaking Off
cial. He merely. to use a colloquial
phrase, has overlooked a bet"
Give WATSON a Chance.
Commissioner Porter said relative to
the situation: Let US first give Was
son a chance to ask for more money
then if he does not do it I think it is
up to the commissioners as a whole
to see that he gets busy
AS matters now stand the entire
question will come before the board at
its next meeting Friday morning.
Commissioner Wasson and the
other city commissioners are to be
commended for their promptness and
activity in the matter when their at
tention was called to the situation.
Now with the city to receive 900 for
It's deposits; the school board getting
that rate for its monies; the state re-
ceiving go, why should not the county
of Shawnee receive 39e, instead of
2 II %, from the banks holding the
county's surplus. Inasmuch as the
county now has on deposit in the vari-
Gus banks about half a million dol
lars, sometimes running up to as high
as a million, and presuming that the
average is $450.000, if the city re-
ceived per cent for its deposits in
stead of 211 per cent, it would make
a difference of S2,250, which would
at least help in taking care of the
mothers pensions, for which our COM
missioners have done nothing because
they said there were no funds avail
abIe-Editor State Journal I