The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-20
RUSH IN The ALIBIS
Senators Who Went to Leaven-
worth via X. C.. Have Excuses.
One With $9.42 Expense Ac.
count Never Made Trip.

The state senators who made the
penitentiary inspection trip to Leaven-
worth via Kansas City and whose eX
pense accounts are causing no end of
conjecture, are coming forth today
with explanations.
The alibis from the mine dollar"
senators are being received with hi
larity. The excuses vary from a mis-
take in school day arithmetic, due to
poor adding to the fact that one sena
tor failed to donate to the kitty"
when a fellow member paid for a
Kansas City meal The richest con-
tribution to the mystery comes from
Senator Smith, who throws a good
sized monkey wrench into the ways
and means committee appropriation
machinery by stating that he cannot
understand why he should have an
expense account of S9.42 when he
never was out of Topeka during the
time the committee made the trip.
Practically every one of the ten
senators, who made the trip to Leaven-
worth by way of Kansas City, and who
had big expense account, has a
plausible, well-sounding excuses. 1t is
expected that practically every one
will see that this excuse, along with
of the senate when the ways and
means committee BILL provinding for
payment, comes up and other senators
begin to ask questions.
Arithmetic Was Poor.
The most unusual excuse is offered
by Senator J. r. Plumb, of Emporia,
and Senator H. F. Sutton, of st. John.
These two had the largest accounts of
any of the ten who visited Ieaven-
worth via Kansas City. Plumb ex-
plains that in making up his list of
expenditures he made a mistake and
put down a five where he should have
put down a three, making his eX-
| I,
really were. Sutton says that he was
with Plumb practically all of the
time and that as they spent the same
he took Plumb's figures without ques-
| ton. Therefore, his account. like that
of the Emporia senator's. is two
dollars larger than it should have
been. The explanation undoubtedly
will be accepted, but one senator al
ready said he is going to ask why
| senators, who are known to be good
at figures. could not add a total of
| $9.5S without making a mistake.
Senator J. w. Montee, who had the
| third largest account, explains that he
| had his wife and little daughter along
on the trip, and that for this reason
| it was impossible for him to elbow in
| the money of the taxpayers even if he
| had been inclined to do so, which he
| Insists he was not.
Soldier Paid Gar Fare.
pense was $50, says that he will
! present the senate with an itemized
| account if it is desired, and, further
| more, he says he can produce soldier
| to prove that this soldier helped him
| to save the states money by paying
| his street car fare.
| Probably the most disturbed of the
| ten senators is A. F. Smith of Burden.
The ways and means committee bill
| contains Smiths name and allows him
| S9.42 for the trip.
'Why. 1 didn't even think of max
| ing the trip" Smith explains. 81 was
| not out sof Topeka during the whole
| time the senators were away. How
| in the world did they get my name
| on that list with such an amount as
that? 1 know an effort may be made
| to show that. I really do not know
whether or not I made the trip, but if
! it is I have no fear about being able
| to clear my skirts, as I can prove
| where I was and what I was doing"
| Several of the senators assert that
| the difference between their accounts
and the account of Senator Pomeroy
who spent only $500, is due to the
fact that they reimbursed Senator Sny-
| der for the Harvey House meal he
| bought them while PomeroTy has not
| dome