The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-26

subject of. the amendment, but after
several vain attempts gave up.
Let him continue, Mr.. President. +"
said Wark. The has it in his system
and 1T must come out. He's getting
himself in deeper all the time"
And Coleman proceeded He de-
clared there is now no need for a
state oil inspection department.; that
the office is a sinecure and thatoil in
spection is obsolete.
''Pcrnicious Tax"
''Oil inspection was established in
the days when gasoline was a by
product and thown away by many re-
finers," he declared. Instead of
wasting it some refiners allowed it 70
be sold in coal oil or kerosene, there
by endangering life. Oil inspection
was then proposed as police regu-
lation. 1t was a safety measure.
"Since then gasoline has become
the main produce of refineries. The
use of kerosene has diminished until
it is an unimportant product. There
is now no danger whatever of any re-
finer allowing gasoline to go out IN
kerosene ane it requires no police
regulation. The matter of oil inspec-
ton has therefore become simply a
pednicious tax which is paid by the
people of Kansas who buy the refin-
cry products.
THE position of oil inspector has
the department visiting his office
once or twice a month. The reason
for oil inspection is obsolete. 1 hold
no brief for any refinery AS a mat
ter of fact the refiners want oil in
spection. 1 don't know why, but they
do. Yet they all say that you cannot
create@a law that will give protection
to the users of refinery products.
mo Use for It."
There is no more reason for the
inspection of gasoline than there is
for the inspection of cloth. Why not
create a department for the inspec-
ton of cloth and have a lot more fat
state jobs? Originally oil inspection
was police measure and ont a law to
collect a tax nor to protect the buyer
in his deal with the seller
Senator Wark was on his feet sew
eral times while Senator Coleman was
talking and was ready as soon as the
Senator from Johnson finished.
IF the committee thought there
was any graft in this department"
he said, 'it would never Lave brought
this bill out. There is reason for TAX
ing the limit off of the number of in
spectors. We now have twenty re-
fineries under construct N and there
will be more. This legislature meets
only once in two years and the chief
inspector should be protected against
a shortage in help"
Coleman, that the number at pres
ent is amply sufficient. 1 move that
the number be fixed at 5"
THE senator from Johnson says
he understands that" said Senator
Paulen &C Wilson. Il know personally
that at Neodesha the inspector has
been working nights and Sundays for
four or five months. The amendment
offered by the senator is ridiculous
He ought to fix the number at one
1t would be no more foolish than
five"
The amendment of Senator Cole
man limiting the number of deputy
inspectors to five was voted down. He
alone voetd for it. Then the amend
ment offered by Senator Wark taking
off the limit was adopted.
At Cents a Barrel.
Without a great deal of argument,
other amendments We're adopted as
offered by Senator Wark, Under the
terms of the bill the inspection fee
is fixed at cents barrel, but when
ever the governor and the chief oil in
spector agree that that fee is Great
ing a fund in excess of what is need
ed to pay the expenses of the depart
ment they may reduce it.
The bill provides that each deputy
inspector shall receive a salary of
1900 a year. Senator Wark moved
to increase the amount TO |l,oVU d
year. The present salary is 81 200
year His amendment was voted
down. The chief inspectors salary is
fixed at $4,000 a year. A bookkeeper
and stenographer. combined, at a sal
airy of $100 per month is provided in
the bill.
There was some argument over the
tests. After amendments had been
offered fixing the specific gravity of
gasoline all the way from 60 degrees
down to 81 degrees it was fixed by
amendment at So degrees. The initial
boiling point fixed in the bill at 80
degrees was raised to 40 degrees. The
end point or dry point" was raised
from 41O as printed in the bill, to 4S0
degrees.
All gasoline not meeting such tests
may be sold but it must be sold as
''urgraded" gasoline.
On roll call just three votes were
cast against the bill-by Drummer,
Coleman and Whitney. Whitney de-
clared that he was in doubt and when
in that situation he voted mo-"