The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-12
Appropriations Not Sufficient to
Meet High Costs.
Potatoes Have Been Eliminated
From All Menus.
TO MAKE SHORT CONTRACTS
Only Hope of Officials Is De-
cline in Prices.
Buying on Open Market an EX-
p~nSive Experiment.

Kansas state institutions are face to
race with serious food problem. In
spite of the recent eleven million dol
Tor legislative session-the most expen-
sive the state has known-there is not
enough money available to meet food
demands at the state institutions dur
ing the next biennlum. Potatoes have
been removed from the bills of fare at
practically all institutions. Other
household necessities and delicacies
are to go. Many Examinations will be
made and numerous substitutions or
dered.
The state has been hit hard by food
price advances during the last year
The semi-annual letting of contracts,
to be held in Topeka next week, will
for the first time in the states history
curtail all classes of purchases. In an
almost vain hope that prices may be
lowered by next fall, the state institu-
lions will next week make purchases
for a three months in stead of six
months period.
Face Deficiencies.
state institutions have recently been
compelled to meet thousands of dol
lars additional expense in advances IN
food prices. With all institutions
crowded and with appropriations for
maintenance limited, practically every
state institution is now facing the
necessity of a deficiency before the
next legislative session.
Sick patients in hospital wards are
the only inmates of state institutions
who are now eating potatoes Sky
rocketing of the spud market has
caused a general order for elim1na-
ton of potatoes from the menus. Last
month the Winfield state hospital be
came reckless with its funds and
bought two and third bushels of
potatoes. Under normal conditions
thousands of bushels of potatoes are
used each year in the institutions.
When state institutions let contracts
in December, last year, they elim1n-
ated a number of items on the list
They voted to buy sugar. flour,
on the open market. But the market
kept going up and the cost to the state
has been thousands of dollars in ad-
vance of the contracts offered last
winter.
All Prices Way Up.
In Decembe the state needed 1926
zoe pounds of sugar for the si2
months period. a price of $3.50 g
hundred was quoted. But the state
said the price was too high Since
that time it has bought sugar at $3.50
So and even $3.50. Flour has taker
all manner of balloon ascensions. Blu
it is difficult to find a substitute fol-
flour and the state has paid the bill
funds
Beans were quoted to the state a
S1145 last December. State board:
scoffed at the robber price. 1t re
iected all bids and has since pait
S1S.25 to $50 a hundred. More thar
$4,000 pounds of beans were wiped
from the list and demands for othe1
necessities were held to the minimum
Salt. soap and other articles are nov
irving for altitude records and tn,
state will enter the contract LETTING
next week with fear and trembling
Canned goods are out of sight. Ma
chinery. furniture, equipments, medi
cal supplies, and chemicals have fount
n market ievel beyond the estimates o
state boards and the Legislative com
mittees. And a result Kansas i
facing a situation which calls for
reduction in rations, elimination o
many necessities or enormous 1. c
US to wholesale firms before the ses
sion of the next legislature.