Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-01-13


car Of hour delivered at the
place Of business. Several old mii
Ing companies entered bids rangin
from $14.20 per bareri to $14.S0 pc
barrel, freight prepaid. The stat
mill made bid Of something owe
$40 per barrel, freight to be paid b,
the consignee. At the last electioa
there was an Initiated law passe'
requiring that all activities Of tn
State Industrial Commission sh0uli
submit to an auditing by comperen
auditors, not employees Of the com
mission itself. A competent firm O.
auditors is now at work. The 'littl,
mill" at Drake IL closed for their In.
vestigati0n, and the supreme court
the majority Of which owes It's cleo.
ton to League support, declines t.
assume jurisdiction in the case. II
seems that the method whereby cit.
tie mill" may make profit Of nearly
800 per day must remain secret.
Another state institution provided
for is the State bank, directed, oper-
ated, controlled and audited by the
one and the same Industrial Com
mission. The reason advanced for
its necessity was to loan money to
bona fide farmers on real estate Sc
curity and to finance Industrial pro-
jects. It's source Of capital was to
come in part from the state, county,
township, school district, city and
village treasurers, who were until re-
Gently required by law to. deposit
their money therein, in many cases
at a lower rate Of interest than local
bankers were paying for. the same
money. .Mny instances on rec
ord where real farmers We denied
loans on good security; many other
instances where loans were made
much in excess of the assessed valua-
tion, which now is supposed to be
the real valuation, and for the appar-
ent reasons of political considera-
tiiOns. One fragrant case is where a
near relative of Non Partisan Con-
gresham Baer, residing in st. Paul.
secured a $4,000 loan on more or
less worthless piece of land.
Monkeying With Banks
A recently passed initiated law
permits the various public treasurers
to deposit their funds in banks other
than the State bank. These treas
urers, urged by bankers, and other
assumed the policy that
they would be as moderate and care
full as possible in withdrawing funds
and thus make it as least embarrass-
Ing as possible for the State bank.
the State Industrial Com
mission has shut down its various
activities, assigning for reason, the
ack Of funds, alleging that the above
aw is to blame. Furthermore, this
Dank in which all the school funds |
If all the state were deposited has
leclined to honor checks drawn on
t by school treasurers for current |
expenses; as result some schools
ire threatened with the probability |
# closing down for lack of funds,
n until such time as the State bank
will honor checks for money in its
,ank.
Another state enterprise was that
f the Home Builders association.
1t one time the management Of the
anne stated that 1t had purchased
materials for year In advance.
ince that, building materials have
AIKEN a decided slump in price. OF
curse the taxpayer must foot the
Iii. Just recently the management
that 1t would have to sus-
end operations on houses under
obstruction unless the workmen
'ould work on time, money for cur
mt expenses being lacking.
Falling Political Fortunes
It is interesting to glance at their 6
,litical fortunes at the polls. IN
DIG, they elected majority in the
,use, a majority Of the holdover
'nators, the supreme court posi- =
ons, up at that election, and all ex-
.utive offices except one. In the
)18 election, they again elected
vo- thirds majority Of the house, r
Efficient number of the holdover
majors, that they had two thirds >,
ajority, supreme court Judge, and
of the executive offices except n
e. They were in position to do :
siness without any serious inter n
renee. They took full advantage =