The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-27
VOTES OF CONFIDENCE.

oessful candidates themselves. II
shows that the public is not unmind-
full of faithful and honest service on
the part of Mayor House and all the
other commissioners.
Votes cast in opposition to present
members of the city commission were
given to other candidates largely on
personal grounds. The vote for Mr.
Billiard is an instance. He had no
desire to enter the race, but --as forced
into it by his faithful friends He
had no organization and made no eff
fort to obtain a place on the final bal
lot. Each of the other losing candf-
dates had a large personal following
The big vote they received does not
indicate that their supporters are DIS
pleased with the present administra-
ton.
The leads of the five present COM
missioners for denomination We're IN
each case overwhelming.
House led the second man in the
race, former Sheriff Kiene, by nearly
1000, while Kiene and Corwlne were
only $50 votes apart and Billiard but
200 below Corwine.
It is noted that Mayor House car
ried 26 of the 80 precincts over his
nearest competitor, Mr.. Kiene and car
ried that gentIeman's own ward by a
plurality of 80 votes.
| The MAYOR also carried his home
ward by a plurality of 525 over Mr.
Kiene.
The votes renominating w. H. Was
son. commissioner of finance; F. M.
Newland, commissioner of water and
| ioI,f To nd
streets and w L. Porter, commits
sioner OF parks, were so large that a
formal election seems almost unneoes-
sary, for each of them had majority
over all opposition, with the excep-
ton of Porter whose opponents num-
bered four and whose lead was 5000
over his next opponent and whose to-
tai vote was within less than 200 of
clear majority over the four running
against him.
L. NJ. Jones and P. w. Griggs, can
didates for denomination on the school
board and James B. Mullin, assistant
foreman in the Santa Fe shops, ran
neck and neck, each receiving around
1000 votes, none of the other candi-
dates approaching within thousand
of any one of these three.
/ lie paper III 4tS ACPOAI Va
the primaries this morning says:
Many persons see in the vote polled by
Kiene and Norton an effort on the part
| of the banks of the city to punish Mayor
| ing the Interest rate city funds. 1t is
! claimed that both Kiene and Norton were
\ induced to enter the race by a banker,
who is a former city official, with the
| avowed purpose of effecting the defeat of
the mayor and the finance commissioner.
| Up until last year the city had been re-
ceiving but per cent on its daily balances
and it was good business for the banks.
"Then along came the Kansas Reserve
bid was accepted. This 80 per cent in
crease in the interest rate. was a fine
greatly peeved the banks that had been
enjoying the per cent rate Mayor House
and Commssion FER Wassop were held chief df
| and so are reputed to have incurred the
displeasure of the banks generally and
this banker politician especially. kiene and
| Norton are the beneficiaries of this resent
ment against the mayor and finance com
| missioner and this accounts largely for
Those who are on the inside say that
this refers to Roy Bone. vice presi-
dent of the German-American bank,
who was active and prominent in sup
porting Kiene and Norton. Personal
feeling of some sort must have tinged
Mr.. Bones special activity in oppos-
| ing Commissioner WATSON. for Mr..
Bones own bank recognizes per
cent as a standard rate to pay munic-
qualities.
This paper thinks that the Capital
has possibly given undue attention to
this incident inasmuch as the banks of
the city are probably working in
greater harmony today than they ever
did before, lending to the welfare and
financial strength of the capital city.
If the Capital means Mr.. Bone, it is
altogether likely Mr.. Bone was work.
ing largely on his own hook; he was
former commissioner of finance, hold
ing the same position now held by
Commissioner WATSON. For some rea-
son he chose to oppose WATSON and
| House in this primary. We believe,
| however, that the bankers generally
| supported both House and WATSON,
Insofar as the Kansas Reserve State
bank is referred to by the Capital as
making a bid of per cent for city
money and the acceptance of the bid,
it might be said that the Kansas Re-
serve did not make this offer with
the view of entering into competition
with other banks for this money, but
made it because the other banks were
very generally paying per cent on
other municipal money, includi.: g
city school money, having esta 5lished
the rate of per cent as a rate gen.
orally acceptable and generally paid
on such balances The Kansas Re
; serve only made the bid of per cent
: for the other city balances, because il
believed that the city was just as
balances as the state and munich
paIities were entitled to 8 per cent on
, similar balances. The State journal
is of the opinion that the bankers
generally think this stand was right
and are not IN favor of the former dis
elimination against the city of To-
L