The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-17
FOR A CASH BASIS
Carrier Bill for Business
Methods in State Institutions.
Would Determine Revenues and
Expenses of Operation.
REMOVE ALL "IMAGINATION"
"DiSgusted" With Deficits To
Offset Production.
Also He Would Pay Prisoners
for "EXcesS Production"

Representative T. l. Barrier. of
Greenwood county. would remove i'm
aginatiou and make believe from busi-
ness transactions between state insti-
tutions. AS member of the state
board of administration. Barrier has
cultivated a thoro disgust for the
states system Of building up deficits
with which to offset production. He
will introduce a bill during the special
session which will put all institutions
on a cash basis
Under the present system of opera
tion of state institutions. neither state
officials nor members of the legisla-
ture have been able to determine the
expense Of operation. The institu-
lions which produced the most built
up the greatest deficits. This situa-
ton has been particularly true at the
state penitentiary at Lansing.
Coal from the prison mines has
been sent to various institutions which
merely paid tn freight bills. The
prison produced hundreds of thou
sands of tons of coal. but no charge
was ever entered against the institu-
tions which burned the fuel on the
other hand the prison appropriations
We're used to feed the convicts. to buy
mining equipment and supplies ana
no credit ever went to the prison. The
same situation applied where the state
Industrial school for boys at Topeka
shipped large supplies of canned goods
to other institutions. The Topeka
school paid the bills and the other
institutions received the benefits.
No Heating Plant Record
In the case of the state heating
plant at Tenth and jackson streets, no
record was ever available as to cost OF
operation. The legislature has appro-
priated thousands of dollars for wages,
for new heat tunnels and for machin-
cry and upkeep. But the state prison
las furnished the trainloads of coal
which have been used in operation of
the plant. Not one dime from the
heating plants funds ever went to re-
imhurse the prison for expense.
Barrier proposes business methods.
II his bill is passed during the special
session he will be able to balance books
IL the end of a fiscal or calendar year.
He will know the exact cost of opera
ton of the heating plant and that in
stitution may distribute expense items
10 the state house, printing plant and
Memorial hall which receive heat and
lfght-When the plant is in operation
The bill will provide that when an
article is purchased by one institution
from another institution that an actual
transfer of institutional funds shall be
made The policy is expected to Gre
ate a tendency toward greater econ
omy by institutions which in the past
have received benefits from free dis
tfibutions and to inspire greater pro
duction by institutions which have
commodities for sale.
Would Pay Convicts.
Another bill by Barrier will doubt
less provide for payment of convicts
at Lansing and Hutchinson for pro-
duction beyond their weekly tasks. At
present each person is assigned Ger
tain task. In the coal mines this task
Mi each ton
coal produced in addition to the task,
Barrier would provide for payment of
IL certain sum to family of the convict
OF set aside for the worker and to be
paid to him when he is restored to
Eitizenship.