The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-23
X. C. : Newspaper Grooming
Judge fer Governor Belief.
See Politics in Fight on Other
Labor Court Members.
TO PRODUCE EXPENSE ACCOUNT
Higgins and Wark Said to
Have All Information.
Political Bills Charged Up to
State, Is Report.
BY A. L. SHULTz.

| a. l.. Sf1OLIL.
Kansas political interest during the
! last week has centered in the indus
| trial court row and it's promise of new
settings and revelations. Among the
men wise in politics the real story of
| the -Huggins-Wark dispute has
Inot been given the public. It is the
feeling that something new is coming
that commands attention ana possibly
! threatens political disturbances.
! Behind the controversy itself is b.
[ clever game of politics, according to
| observers There is a feeling that the
! fight on Judges Higgins and Wark.
/ which was started by q Kansas City
(Mo.) newspaper, has for its purpose
1.-THE development of Judge Reed as a
possible successor to Governor Allen
two years hence. 1t tends to discredit
Judge Higgins. who has won consid-
cradle mention as gubernatorial pos
| sibility, while at the same time Judge
Reed is presented to the public in the
most favorable manner. The move of
the Kansas City paper to put Judge
| Reed to the front is accepted as an ex-
preston of the papers conviction that
Richard j. Hopkins, its former choice,
cannot be developed for the job.
Allen Is Behind Reed.
| While the elemonF of politics is in
the labor court fight, there is no un-
certainty as to the genuine brand of
| trouble which has broken out. 1t
started weeks ago and has constantly
gained speed and volume. Governor
Allen has been taken into the court
trouble and is listed as firmly behind
Judge Reed. In fact, there is a re-
/ port in the state house that the gov
ernor has registered a feeling of re-
greet that his court is beyond his COM
mand by virtue of senate confirma,-
I tions.
1t. is known that the governor
strongly approved Judge Reeds action
in writing dissenting opinion in the
! Kansas City telephone case. The Kan
+ sas City paper approved the COVER
nor's stand and strongly praised Judge
Reed. Both the governor and the
! Kansas City paper were interested in
the appointment of Charles Holbrook
! as a court investigator at 5000 a
and Wark held the appointment was
mere politics and asserted they would
! not make the court a clearing house
for political patronage.
| state Pays for g. o. p. Politics?
1 Just at this time the courts trouble
centers around the Huggins-Wark or
der for inspection of all expense mat
| tiers. Judge Reed has frankly ex-
pressed the feeling that his colleagues
are Jealous of his activities and are
seeking to curb his usefulness in the
I car shortage cases. Higgins and
Wark point merely to the action of the
governors office last year when it
took over the ear trouble. The, job
has since remained there. But the use
/ of blue pencils on expense accounts
and claims against the courts balance
| in the state treasury is seemingly the
issue on which the fight will be made
bSfore the public.
1t is asserted that Higgins and
| Wark are ready for battle if the issue
is forced. Persons familiar with court
affairs state that the two judges have
| a bunch of records of Judge Reeds
political messag es-many of them to
| a representative of the Kansas City
newspa per-which were charged to
| the state Numerous items from the
Reed expense account were blue PEN
ciled and these claims are said to have
been subsequently paid by Governor
| Allen from his contingent fund. All of
! which may give some explanation for
Governor Aliens feelings in the mat
| ter.
ThenFrToo, the Governorship.
| The real politics o. the fight, the,
| seems eentered in the governorship.
| There IS also a desire of the Kansas
! City paper to create a public opposi-
/ ton to lawyer members of the court.
| This move is expected to result in a
| measure before the next legislature to
| limit the court personnel to one law
yer. The papers representatives went
! before Governor Allen last winter with
| requests that he name lawyeFless
/ ceurt-Eor at i asst not more than one
/ lawyer member. Inc governor named
! two lawyers and a newspaper man.
Because of the ra pidly changing sands
! of Kansas politics, an effort is being
| made by the Kansas City paper to
direct the nomination of Governor Al
/ lens successor and to develop a candi-
| date not unfriendly' to the papers
plan and policy in this state. Judge
/ Reed is in accord and sympathy with
] all of the papers motives and desires
and has for a number of years been
high officer in its Kansas erganiza-
/ ton. His efforts to secure grain ears
J for shippers resulted in many lauda-
tory articles, followed by an editorial
! of praise when he wrote the telephone
dissent
but the Kansas City papers policy
| does far more than present Judge
| Reed in a very favo able light. 1t
affords an opportunity for a swing at
Judge Higgins who drafted the labor
court law and is himself a governor
ship possibility. 1t also presents an
opportunity for the paper to draw
slightly but effectively away from its
grooming of Richard J. Hopkins
Yet the fight promises to bring to
ithe attention of the public details of
/ political activities by various state
officials. In this opening of the pub
lie record the state may learn some
OF the facts as to freedom with which
state funds were used by officials in
keeping in touch with the Kansas City
newspaper representative and for
purely political messages Many OF
thaSe expense items cut frem the
court vouchers by Higgins and Wark
were rejected under the assertion that
they were political bills and not
| cha rEes for the trausa cffou of ofFie{a