The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-04
STATE EXPENSE
OPENS POLITICAL
ROW IN KANSAS
Democratic State Chairman At
tacks Allen Administration.
Charges State Officers With Use
PubIic's Money for Politics.
POINTS OUT PERSONAL CALLS
Forrest Luther Produces
Charge Against Officials.
Criticises GOmpers Special and
Grain-Car Campaign.
Criticises GOmpers Special and
Grain-Car Campaign.

VI
Forrest Luther. chairman Of the
Democratic state committee, expects to
capitalize the recent Industrial court
row and indicated today he would drag
the states wire tolls and other e1-
pense accounts before the voters in the
present campaign. Luther has issued
a lengthy statement severely criticising
Governor Allen and Judge Clyde NJ
Reed for expenditure OF public funds.
He asserts that many telephone and
telegraph bills paid by the state were
for purely personal and political busi-
ness.
Chairman Luther stated today that
he followed up reports of the indus
trial court break with an inVestiga-
ton of state expenses. He took a look
at expense items blue penciled by
Judges Huggins and Wark after they
had been contracted by Judge Reed.
Instead of expense of wire service for
box cars, Luther declares he found
numerous messages to well known
Kansas politicians
For the period ending June 80 Il
slightly less than eighteen months
Luther declares he found that wire
service for the governors office cost
the state S5.921.7S. Wire expense for
the Capper administration for tn
previous eighteen months is quoted by
IL
that many of the MESA ges to politi-
clans were cut out of the industrial
court account by Judges Higgins and
Wark and later paid by Governor
Allen from his contingent fund.
Luther says he found thirty-seven
specific wire expense items of Judge
Reeds which his coileagu refused TO
approve and which were subsequently
paid by the governor from his Office
funds.
Raise Tax Valuations.
7 have been hearing a lot about
the extra vagance OF the present ad-
ministration ever since last winter
charges of reckless printing expendi-
lures incurred to advertise the indus
trial court, charges of waste of state
money in hiring useless employees and
various other charges. I have taken
the pains to go over the state audi
tors books showing the telegraph and
telephone expenses Of Judge Reed and
! want to say that if Reed and Allen
have been as eXtraYagant in other ex-
pendhureS Is they have in wire tolls
and have worked together as har-
moniously in getting away with the
states money in other things, then
the state treasury must be on verge
of bankruptcy. And indeed there is
no wonder Aliens tax commission had
10 raise the assessment valuations of
farm lands from to 80 per cent"
In defense Of Judge Reeds position
story was recently printed to the
effect that jealousy inspired the ac-
tiOn of Judge Huggins and Wark. It
was stated that Judge Reed sought
to relieve the car shortage in Kansas
and that the Huggins-Wark order re-
quiring approval of all expenses be-
fore contracted, threatened to cripple
the movement of grain in this state
Luther declared today that money
spent to secure grain cars was wasted.
His charge. tho, is to the effect that
the wire expense was for politics and
private business and not for box cars.
Personal ard Political
Z knew that if Reed was spending
much OF the states money trying TO
get grain cars he was wasting it,
Luther said 7 knew this because 1
had been over all sections of the state
and knew no one was getting grain
cars for the farmers. So 1 decided to
go to the auditors office and make
an investigation. And what dis
covered was enough to arouse every
taxpayer in Kansas to arms.
Not only did I find that Reeds
enormous telephone and telegraph
bills were not sent for the purpose of
getting box cars, or for any other state
business, but I found they were purely
personal and political. And, what is
worse. I found that after the other.
members of the industrial court re-
fused to let him charge them to the
people of tn state and pay them out
of the court funds he took them down
TO the governors office and the gov
ernor paid them with the peoples
money out of the funds of his office.
AIlen-Gompers Special.
Undoubtedly the straw that broke
the cameIs back and caused the big
rupture in the industrial court was
Reeds effort TO make the state paw
the bills he incurred when he was
busy getting passengers for the spe-
cfal train that was run to New York
for the Allen-Gompers debate and
when he was trying to line up the
delegates to the national convention
for Fred Stanley for national com
Hitteeman
The big row came shortly after the
other judges of the industrial court re-
fused to pay Reeds May telephone
and telegraph bills and shortly after
the governors voucher paying for
them was put thru the auditors office
vouchers. I found 81 telephone and
telegraph bills incurred by Judge
Reed. which were blue pencilled by
other members of the court Every
one Of these was to a politician or one
of Governor Aliens workers and in
checking over the vouchers of the gov
ernor's office. 1 found that every one
of them was paid by the governor
when the industrial court refused to
pay them.
Reeds Phone Calls
A May p was a particularly busy day
for Judge Reed" Luther continued
going into details "On this dav I
found that he put in the following