The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-04
STATE EXPENSE
tcOntinued from Page one.l

CONTINUED from Page One.I
renee, to Davis at Leavenworth, to En-
ders at Leavenwortn. to Biddle at
Leayenworth, to Senator Snyder at
Leavenworth, to Reese at Manhattan,
to Seaton at Manhattan, to Emmonds
at Manhattan, to Motter (Republican
state chairman) at Olathe, to Harris
at Ottawa, to Carver at Pratt, to Lo-
gan at Quenemo, to Parks at Wichita,
to Burrow at Wichita, to Elmer Peter
son (editor Wichita Beacon Governor
Aliens paper) at Wichita, and to ODER
at Kansas City.
EVERY one of these calls was cut
out OF the industrial court voucher, as
abe records show, and. in the COVER
nor's voucher book 1 found every one
of them paid along with many other
telephone and Telegraph bills incurred
by Judge Reed. Not one did find to
a railroad. .
After making these discoveries in
the May voucher book of the COVER
nor's office, I decided to look a little
further into the governors telephone
and telegraph bills, and wonder what
you'll say when 1 tell you that Reeds
bills which the industrial court would
not pay and which the governor did
pay. dc not amount to a drop in the
bucket!
ii Il made a total of the governors
telephone and telegraph bills for the
first eighteen months he was in office
and then I did not need an explana-
ton Of why he insisted upon the spe-
cial session of the legislature replen-
ishing his contins ent fund last winter
These bills alone ate up the con-
tingent fund allotment on which every
other governor. has managed to get
along for two years.
Years Wire Bills $4,594.
THE first year Allen was in office
his telephone and telegraph bills
amounted to S4,594.20, or within s4oo
of the amount the state pays its gov
the first eighteen months of the Al
len administration the telegraph and
telephone bills of the governors office
amounted to S5.921-TS-almost six
times as much as these bills amounted
TO during the last eighteen months of
the Capper administration. Allen first
eighteen months really constituted q
ishorter period than Cappers last
eighteen months, as the bills for the
first few days in January, 1919, were
charged to Capper, but even with this
advantage the records show Aliens
wire expenditures amounted to u.s.
921.7S and Gapper's to only $1,136.66.
"In running over the wire bills of
the governors office, did not go into
details, but found a number of tele-
York and Washington, several to "Pe-
lterson at Wichita" one at least to the
New York man who managed the AL
ilen-Gompers debate. And I found tele-
phone calls to New York and New Or
leans and to H. H. Motter and a news
paper man at Kansas City, all charged
to the state"
I Total figures do not furnish a fair
comparison between wire expenses be-
tween the administrations of Governor
Allen and Governor Capper. First.
consideration should be given in
creased rates for wire mesa ges. Sec
ond, consideration should be given
heavy legitimate expense Of the gov
ernor's office for messag es during the
coal strike.
Messages OF political or personal
character-by Governor Allen, Judge
Reed or other public officials-are
not legitimate expense items to be
paid by the tax payers. The records
in the state auditors office are the
best evidence. If these records show
/ wholesale charges to the state for po-
itical purposes. the items themselves
should be produced rather than a
blanket comparison OF total charges.