The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-13

fund. A total of &c messages are al
legged to have been sent to or by Mot
ter at public expense.
The Democrat chairman today an
swered the Motter statement to the eff
feet that political and personal wire
expenses were not paid with state
funds. Luther took extracts from the
records for the fiscal year ended June
80, 1920. He promises to go entirely
thru the expenses of the Allen adrn4n-
istration but said he had not. found
| time to complete his investigations.
To K. C. Newspaper.
More than forty telephone messages
and the kilograms to and by Fred
Trigg and other representatives of the
Kansas City (Mo) Star are alleged by
Luther to have been paid for by the
taxpayers during the year. Not only
did the governor and Judge Reed keep
in close touch with Trigg, but repre-
sentatives of Kansas City newspaper
occasionally permitted the state to
pay their own wire bills, it is alleged
Luther says the state auditors rec
ords show 5 messages were sent to
Trigg during the year by Governor
Allen and Judge Reed and charged to
the state.
Chairman Motter himself was sell
dom out of close touch with the state
house. Luther asserts. He lists 26
messages TO or by Motter at expense
of the tax payers.
William Allen White. publisher of
the Emporia Gazette. and one of the
original Allen gubernatorial boosters
received SO wire messages from Gov
ernor Allen and Judge Reed during
the S12 months All were paid by
warrant on the goveronr's contingent
fund.
Wired National Leaders.
Luther charges that rs messages
We're sent from the governors office
or by Judge Reed to Governor Aliens
own paper, the Wichita Beacon, or to
members of the editorial staff A
number of messages are said to have
been sent by Judge Reed to his home
paper, the Parsons Sun, and charged
to the state.
Ten messages are declared by
Luther to have been sent to National
state expense. At least one MESA ge
paid for by the state was addressed
to VIII Hays. national chairman.
Several days ago Chairman Motter
answered the opening charge of ex-
travagance as directed against the
state administration by Luther. At
that time Motter said the governor and
Judge Reed had personally trimmed
all personal and political expenses
from state bills and had paid the
items by personal check. Now Luther
returns from : trip to the state audi
than 200 personal and political ex-
pense items were paid with state
funds in a year. He promised to pro-
duce further items when he checks
expenses of the first six months of the
Allen administration.
Asks What Kind of Business
Neither Motter. White. Trigg or
various other persons who received
numerous messages at state expense,
are in any manner officially connected
with state affairs. Trigg is a resident
of Kansas City, MO, and does not vote
in this state,
Today Luther asks Motter to let the
public know the exact reason for. the
wholesale message sending" Luther
says he will soon be able to produce a
record of MANY messages to Kansas
politicians other than those named in
the nature of this business transacted
almost exclusively by telephone and
the reason Governor Allen and Judge
Reed charged the expense to the state.
81 am not surprised that a man,
even of Mr.. Motter's political sa ga city,
could not think of a more plausible
reply to charges that stand exposed in
the records of the state auditors Of
flee" said Luther. These records
show that during the last fiscal year
there have been more than 200 per-
sonal and political telephone and tele-
funds over which Governor Allen has
control. Every one of these bills
shows on its face that it was not in
CURED in transacting legitimate state
business.
''Since many of these bills were IN
CURED by Mr.. Motter himself or by
persons communicating with him.
want to ask him to explain to the tax
payers just what state business was at
hand"
Laughs at Counter Charges.
Then Luther reviewed the list of
alleged personal and political mes
sages as listed above. He laughed at
Motter's counter charge against the
Hodges administration as a defense
for Governor Allen and Judge Reed.
Reminds me of the man accused OF
stealing a horse" he said. His de-
tense was that the other fellow stole
two horses"
Luther declared he had not heard of
charges of extravaganza by the Hodges
administration until Motter made his
statement.
1--WE haven't had a chance to make
a complete check-up," said Luther,
but we have gone into the records
enough to assure Mr.. Motter that Gov
crnor Hodges telephone and telegraph
bills for an entire year did not amount
to as much as one month of the Allen
administration. We have shown a
wire expense for Governor Aliens
office of s5.921.7s for Is months as