The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-02
EFFICIENCY. OR POLITICS?

The morning paper today has a
pertinent editorial comment on the
city election which will take place to-
morrow. iD/which it says:
Mr.. Kiene, who is seeking the mayoraIty
against Mr.. House. has posed as an anti
corporation candidate and attempted to
make it appear that Mr.. House was in some
way under the domination of the street
| railway and electric light company and
| the evening paper, but the wind was>rat her
| taken out of that argument by the light
| company admitting the city's claim against
1t was correct and arranging to make pay
ment of the money.
| IS to the evening paper. if it be true
that its support of the administration is
due to the fact that the new bank, of which
| its proprietor is vice president. has the
city money on deposit, it is at least to the
credit of the administration that the city is
gettin a third more interest than mas
| been customary its daily balances
| As matter of fact. there is not much
| Houses opponent while it is distinctly
| to the mayors credit that he has had
part in securing the better interest rate
| of the city's differences with the Topeka
Edison company.
| This is very good, but the Capital
understated the benefit to the city in
| it's sentence: ut is at least to the
credit of the administration that the
city is getting third more interest
balances" Instead of getting a third
more the city is getting a half more
for the interest on city balances; was
per cent, now per cent, which, of
course, is half more than per cent.
In a political announcement printed
in the Capital Sunday morning signed
by L. L. Kiene, candidate for mayor.
re says:
81 am running for Mayor not being run
| in the interest of the Street Car Company,
the Gas Company, the Edison Company or
| of the Editor of the State Journal or his
bank.
Inasmuch as the State Journal and
the new bank helped to secure for
Mayor Houses administration SO per
cent more interest on the city bal
ances, the editor of this paper is at a
loss to understand why he or the State
Journal are under obligation 10 the
mayor. 1t would seem as if the mayor
and the city were under obligations
to the paper and the bank and to the
editor of this paper, or all three, rath-
er than any one or two or three or all
of the three just named were under
obligations to the mayor and city.
| But why should Mr.. Kiene drag
any bank into his political policies?
In regard to the city funds, the
Kansas Reserve State bank has on de-
post at the present time of the city's
money 500. 900 upon which it is pay
ing 3 per cent interest or an equivalent
to $3.50 per month. Under the old
rate the city would receive for this
amount of money $167, or $50 a month
less. Furthermore, other banks in
this city have three times as much OF
this city money as the Kansas Re
serve bank has and are paying per
cent on what they have. The State
Journal and the bank had no desire
that all of the 100000 on deposit by
the city upon which the city is re-
ceiving per cent should all be placed
in the Kansas Reserve State Bank.
Their main contention was that the
city was entitled to per cent and
that all of the banks paying 3 per
cent should have a share of the city's
money. We trust that this is clear.
Neither the State Journal nor the Kan
sas Reserve State Bank has chin
on its shoulders; they simply advo-
Gated a square deal and the banks
themselves now happily are giving the
| city square deal and nearly every
body but Kiene seems satisfied.
The bank clearances of Topeka have
| increased wonderfully and the banks
| have been strengthened and all of
their deposits have been increased One
| institution advocating thrift deposits
encourages thrift upon the part of the
depositors in all the banks of the CITY.
The new bank has helped other To-
| peka banks.
1t is also difficult to understand why
Mayor House is running in the interest
of the Edison company when he has
! just induced the Edison company to
pay over $4,000 which the present
administration claims was due the city
and which the Edison company now
admits it owed the city
In the same political advertisement
Mr.. Kiene in his signed statement says:
81 believe in suing the Edison company
| for the $4,000 which. as the Mayor saws
has been owing the City for six years, and
same as He did against the county (Which
is all the people of the city, then you can
collect the balance after election-not loan
est
This sort of a statement seems child
ish. Why should the city sue the Edi-
son company for something it has al
ready secured from the Edison COM
pany, without expensive litigation
uncertainty and delay: $4,000 down,
! $12, 900 in deferred payments at per
cent interest.
If Mr.. Kiene would mot loan the
Edison company" $4,000 at per
cent, what would he do with the mon
ey? Would he put it in the banks at
| or 3 Der cent interest vben the