The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-02-19
THEY WENT Wake.
Senate Prison Committee Turns
In an Expense Account.
Various Figures May Start a
Little Fun Soon.
USE AS A HORRIBLE EXAMPLE
Other Committees Were Exact
in Their Trip Costs.
From 1922 to $11.5S per Man
Shown in Missouri.
USE AS A HORRIBLE EXAMPLE

The Kansas senate may pass a rule
prohibiting its investigating commit
tee detouring to reach an oasis when
out on state business at the states
expense.
Just how the matter will be han
died has not been determined but a
number of senators today let it be
known that the committee which
visited the state penitentiary at Leav-
enworth last Saturday and which de-
toured by Kansas City going and re-
turning will be made the "horrible
example" These senators are con-
fident the good people at home will
be interested in the matter, especially
the good farmers who are boasting
that they pay more than IS per cent
of states taxes.
A ways and means committee bill
providing appropriations to pay the
expenses incurred by the senators in
visiting state institutions brought the
matter to the attention of the senators
who are planning to stir up a row
over it. This bill contained appropria-
tions to pay the expenses of ten sena-
tors who visited the institution at Nor
ton. the four who went to Lawrence to
| inspect the state university and the
ten who last Saturday afternoon went
to Leavenworth by way of Kansas City
to inspect the state penitentiary al
Lansing.
The Kansas City Figures.
The unusual thing about the bill
stands out in glazing, telltale figures
it is asserted. When the ten senators
went to Norton, each and every one
had the same expense account-each
and every one spent just $3.50. When
the four senators went to Lawrence
each one spent just S1.67. But when
the ten senators went to Leavenworth
via Kansas City the figures went wild
ri oil
kinds of odd figures were turned in
and a number of senators are asking;
"How else car these things be eX-
| planned except by saying that the pass
| ing thru Kansas City is to blame?"
| Expenses on the trip to Leayen-
worth by way of Kansas City take il
| a wide range. From F. c. Pomeroy
who is a farmer representative AND
who only spent s5.22, the list rises tt
| s11.5S, the amount turned in by Sen
| H. F. Sutton. Pemeroy is Republican
! and his Republican friends are claim
| ing that he is an example of Republi
can economy. while they point gu
| that Sutton is a Democrat. But Sut
| tons friends point to the fact that }
R. Plumb. also a Republican, spen
| $11.58 and they accuse Senator Pome
ROY of having "sponged" off Of hi
| friends for meals and having walked
| part of the way in order to make
! showing.
Between the figures of 1922 an,
| S11.5S there are about as many diff
| ferent amounts as there are separat
| accounts. Senator Satterthwaite spen
| $50, while "Whistling BilP' Thomp
! son of Reno county held his expense
down to s6.37. J. W.. Montee of Graw
ford county blew in 1920. while A. I
Crocker spent S9.0S. And all of thes
| expenses were in spite of the fact tina
the delegation was given a free feed a
| the penitentiary by Warden Coddini
and was entertained at the Harve
House in Kansas City by Senator Sny
der.
The Expense Account.
Here is the expense account tabl
as it appears in the ways and mean
bill turned in today: