The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-14
Open Expense Accounts of Sew
eral State Departments.
TALBOT IS ON THE FIRE
University Extension Head I'm
der Martins Big Stick.
Administration and Health
Boards To Be sNOted."

Quite a number of men on the state
pay roll will feel the need of shock
absorbers of program planned by
house members produces results. 1t
is the plan of number of members
of the lower branch of the legiSla ture
to open up several state departments
to see just what makes the wheels
go round.
Right now it seems that Homer
Talbott's extension department at the
State university and the activities of
the state board of health are most
directly in line for an awakening. Al
most any day now the lower house
may train its guns on one or both OF
these departments. There are other
institutions and departments which
may come in for testimonials. Just
at present mem bers of the legislature
are making demands upon the state
accountants office for facts and fig
ures concerning several state depart
ments and the bombardment may be
more general than now indicated.
Reports from the house judiciary
committee are to the effect that Prof
Talbot, who heads the Kansas league
of municipalities. was invited by COM
m1ttee members to catch the first
train back to Kansas university if he
really wasn't looking for trouble in
the legislature. Prof. Talbot is said
to have left the committee room but
forgot to catch the train to Law
renee. And the trimming which
Frank L. Martin, chairman of the ju-
dietary committee, gave Prof. Talbot
on the floor of the house, is a matter
of record.
A Contract Suspicion
Now there are other storm clouds
approaching. That little para graph
section 1901 of the general statutes
of 1915-has been recommended for
repeal. 1t is under this provision that
Prof. Talbot was permitted to collect
from the cities in his league IS for
each 1000 inhabitants of the city, the
collection being limited to 500 a year
from each city.
1t is asserted in the legislative lob
bies that certain members are now
looking for evidence with which they
will seek to associate the municipali-
ties league with certain large con-
Germs which have received big con-
tracts from cities affiliated with the
league. If this lead" is found to be
correct, it is asserted that the infor-
nation is to be dumped on the floor
of the house for public inspection.
That isn't all. Martin has now
dragged the state board of admins
tration into the discussion of the free
and generous use of public funds.
From the floor of the house during
the discussion of the state purchas-
read a few expense items. He read
the item showing that the board of
administration travelling expenses for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1916,
amounted to $32, while trav-
cling expenses of the state board of
corrections for the same period
amounted to $4,3SS.28 and the trav-
cling expenses of the state board of
control for the same year were just
$411.S7-
Board Of Health, Too.
Following out the program for a
general opening up of state expendi-
lures during the last few years, it is
asserted that the state board of
health is to be given a good full in
ming. The expense items for the
| board may be read on the floor al
are said to be waiting for the oppor-
tune opening when some pet measure
| from the health department is called
up for consideration.
| Legislative members in touch with
| the facts know that the state account
ants office has been asked to make an
| itemized report as to the financial af-
| fairs of the board of health. The
thousands of dollars spent by the
board for junketing expenses for at
tacheS and inspectors are to be aired
in the discussion of several bills. All
of which will doubtless mean that the
| fight will result in a quite thorough
and general Investigate of the ap-
preparation measures which the board
will urge before the present legisla-
ture.
Several other departm ents are to be
| looked into, it is claimed, and house
visitors during the next few weeks
may hear some inside facts concerning
the places where the taxpayers
money goes: